For the third consecutive year, North River Ranch, the flagship master-planned community of Neal Land and Neighborhoods, held a food drive as part of their Pay It Forward program at North River Ranch in support of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. Exceeding its 2022 donation by 12 lbs. and making a $2,500 contribution with over 650 lbs. of food donated to the organization, the community-wide food drive was orchestrated by master-planned community developer Neal Land & Neighborhoods with the support of North River Ranch’s residents and home builders: Cardel Homes Florida, David Weekley Homes, Homes by WestBay, KB Home, Neal Communities, Pulte Homes and Park Square Homes.

“The summer food drives are some of the most critical for the community, so we began collecting donations in June,” shares Neal Land and Neighborhoods president, John A. Neal, “North River Ranch also hosted a FunDay community gathering and encouraged folks to bring food donations to this event. This year, we saw approximately 150 residents participate.”

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee provides nutritional assistance and caring, supportive services to homebound seniors and disabled residents throughout Manatee County. Frank Perry, VP of Strategic Food Bank Programs for the nonprofit organization, collected the donation earlier this month. Since 1972, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee has delivered over 11 million meals to homebound seniors, distributed tens of millions of pounds of food to local families and provided social services for local seniors. For more information, visit www.mealsonwheelsplus.org.

“Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee is a trusted community partner of our organization and we’re proud to continue supporting their cause,” said Neal. “We’re very grateful for the residents at North River Ranch who have come together to provide significant food donations, year after year. We also thank our builder partners for their contribution to this effort.”

Neal Land & Neighborhoods supports Step-Up Suncoast as a Founding 50 member – Step Up is a non-profit organization that helps over 12,000 individuals and families to achieve long-term economic stability through education, support services and community partnerships. Through an organized school supply drive, resident donations are collected during the summer in preparation for the upcoming school year. For more information on Neal Land & Neighborhoods, including the company’s latest development news, visit www.nealland.com. To learn more about the award-winning master-planned community North River Ranch, visit www.northriverranch.com. 

Pictured: Crystal Scherer, Frank Perry and Janice Snow. Photo courtesy of Neal Land and Neighborhoods.

Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) will host its annual black-tie gala, SPARCCle in Garden, on Friday, November 3, 2023, at the Marie Selby Botanical Garden. SPARCCle in the Garden promises to be a magical evening with a three-course dinner by Michael’s on East, live musical entertainment by The Bay Kings, raffles and curated live and silent auction packages, all to support of SPARCC's vital mission to provide a safe haven and promote empowerment, awareness, and social change to end domestic and sexual violence. In addition to a vibrant Live auction and a 7-day Holland America Cruise raffle, SPARCCle in the Garden will also feature a captivating silent auction, boasting a wide array of unique and desirable items. Live Auction items include: A 7-night stay for up to 12 guests at Birchwood Estate in the Village of Adare, Ireland, A 7-night stay for up to 14 guests at a private, gated luxury villa in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, A 4-day, 3-night stay for up to 4 guests in an 1,150 square foot luxury flat at The Residence at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, overlooking the North Sea, Michael’s on East Wine Dinner for 10 This year’s event is Co-Chaired by long-time SPARCC supporters, Cathy Bachand, JoAnn Heisen, Bonnie McIntyre, Kimberley Pelyk and Sue Wilson. A limited number of individual tickets and sponsorships are still available. For reservations or sponsorship information, visit www.sparcc.net/events. 

The Women’s Resource Center presents Divorce 101, a free, five-part workshop series that provides a comprehensive understanding of the divorce process. It is divided into five sessions, each dedicated to a specific topic. The sessions will delve into the emotional aspects of divorce, the laws governing divorce in Florida, ways to assert your financial rights, dealing with children and the family home during divorce, and house and forensic accounting. The series launches on Wednesday, September 13, 6-7:30 p.m., with “Understanding and Conquering the Emotions of Divorce” with Kim Boyd, a board-certified divorce coach. The following sessions are: “Legal Considerations” with Chris Florand, a certified family and civil court mediator (September 20, 6-7:30 p.m.); “Parenting Through Divorce” with Chris Florand and Kim Boyd (September 27, 6-7:30 p.m.); “Family Home/Forensic Accounting” with Amanda Reichert, CDRE, a certified divorce real estate expert, and Susan Keeton, CPA, PA, CFE, a certified divorce financial analyst and CPA (October 4, 6-7:30 p.m.); and “Financial Decisions” with Dr. Laura Mattia, PH.D., MBA, CFP, a financial advisor, educator, and author (October 11, 6-7:30 p.m.) This in-person series is at the Women's Resource Center Sarasota, 340 S Tuttle Ave, Sarasota. Participants can attend one or all of the sessions. To register, visit mywrc.org/divorce101. For more information, call 941-366-1700. 

Center For Sight has completed its annual Mission Cataract event at its Sarasota and Naples surgery centers. Cataract surgeons Dr. David Shoemaker, Dr. William Soscia, Dr. Joshua Kim, Dr. Joaquin De Rojas, Dr. Priya Mathews, Dr. Jon Berlie and Dr. George Brinning performed free life-changing cataract surgeries in the Sarasota and Naples AAAHC-accredited surgery centers. The event is funded by the Center For Sight Foundation and Operation Sight to help individuals in need receive vision correcting care, regardless of their ability to pay. The practice has been offering this service to uninsured patients through Mission Cataract for over 30 years. Since its inception, the program has helped thousands of patients regain their sight, at no cost. The entire Center For Sight team works together to process applications, diagnose patients, and perform surgeries at the annual Mission Cataract event. Stories of This Year’s Mission Cataract Recipients: Patient Jamori Fox, 26, traveled from Canton, GA to have surgery in Sarasota. At only 26 years old, he suffered from debilitating cataracts, causing him to lose his job as a driver. Speaking of Mission Cataract, he mentions, “I’m trying not to get emotional, but I truly appreciate what you’re doing for people who don’t have the income. The world is hard out here. I’m grateful for what you do for those less fortunate.” Heather Gordan, 55, has one personal hobby she’s greatly missed due to her failing vision – reading. She plans to make up for lost time now that she can see clearly again. A friend directed her to Center For Sight a couple years ago, and this year she was eligible for the program. “I am a server and don’t have insurance,” she said, “It’s been tough. This place has been a blessing.” For Cheryl Von Deck, 64, her poor eyesight has affected those around her as well. She shared, “I am a caregiver for someone who cannot drive. I can’t drive either and we’ve had to miss appointments. I can’t wait to be able to see again, I am so excited.” Partnerships to Ensure Continuation of Mission Cataract: To ensure ongoing funding for the annual Mission Cataract program, Shoemaker formed the Center For Sight Foundation, a donor-advised fund of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Every dollar received is used to purchase medications, surgical supplies, protective post-operative glasses, and the intraocular lenses used during surgery. In addition, Center For Sight has partnered with Operation Sight, a national program through the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Foundation in order to expand its reach nationwide. The goal of Operation Sight is to build a network of volunteer organizations that provide care to Americans unable to access or afford cataract surgery. Not only do the Center For Sight surgeons and Center For Sight Foundation donors participate in providing this service, but the laser technology company, LENSAR, Inc., donated the use of its advanced LENSAR laser system to be used on each case. 

To assist at-risk middle and high school students in achieving their educational, career and life goals, Publix Super Markets Charities recently awarded a grant of $5,000 to Safe Children Coalition (SCC). These funds will directly support SCC’s Achievers program. The Achievers program empowers at-risk, minority, and students with other disadvantageous conditions to set and achieve goals in both their educational and personal lives. It encourages continuous growth in the areas of personal development, college preparation, community service and leadership, cultural enrichment, and career options. The program, which has served thousands of students in the community for over 30 years, is open to all middle and high school students in Sarasota County. It has been proven to increase student participation in school programs, decrease school absenteeism and dropout rates, and prevent delinquent behavior. Approximately 113 students participated in the Achievers program during the 2022-2023 school year. Career cluster programming this past year featured Achievers alumni as well as professionals from the community and surrounding areas currently serving in the fields of health/medical, engineering, journalism, mass communications, law enforcement and the legal field. Thanks in part to generous foundation and corporate support, the program also provides scholarship opportunities to successful participants as they transition from high school to college as well as college students who were engaged with the program as teens. Last month, Safe Children Coalition held the annual Achievers end-of-year celebration and scholarship awards, during which $31,800 in college scholarships were awarded to 12 “Class of 2023” high school graduates as well as 26 college students/Achievers alumni. In 1966, Publix Super Markets founder George W. Jenkins established a charitable foundation with the intention of caring for his community – and with a vision that the giving would continue long after he was gone. Today, Publix Super Markets Charities remains committed to serving the communities in which Publix operates. Publix Super Markets Charities supports organizations that focus on youth, education, reducing hunger, and alleviating homelessness. For more information about the Achievers program and how you can help, call program director Jone Williams at 941-487-6600. For more about Safe Children Coalition, visit sccfl.org. 

The Patterson Foundation is strengthening Art Center Sarasota’s effort to implement entrepreneurial strategies by matching up to $50,000 in startup and growth capital investments toward its earned-income plan. Art Center Sarasota is one of the regional nonprofit organizations currently participating in Margin & Mission Ignition, an opportunity presented by The Patterson Foundation that helps nonprofits develop and implement an earned-income plan to strengthen their impact in our community. Nonprofits are selected to participate in Margin & Mission Ignition’s 30-month planning and implementation process after a months-long application period. No Margin, No Mission, a social enterprise and national consulting firm engaged by The Patterson Foundation, consults with the participating nonprofits on strategies and best practices to generate revenue throughout that process. Art Center Sarasota plans to launch an affordable facilities rental venture that will boost the organization's revenue AND increase mission impact. With both indoor galleries and outdoor spaces (sculpture garden and back lawn that can accommodate a range of options), ACS offers renters many options for the activities associated with their event. Art Center Sarasota recently shared its earned-income plan with potential investors during a fast-pitch-style event presented by The Patterson Foundation. Donations and investments contributed to Art Center Sarasota’s earned-income plan will be matched dollar for dollar by The Patterson Foundation up to 50 percent of its startup capital requirement – up to $50,000 maximum. Pledges, in-kind contributions and debt funding are not eligible to be matched. Margin & Mission Ignition is part of The Patterson Foundation’s Nonprofit Thrivability initiative. This initiative connects nonprofits with expertise and resources to learn concepts like strategic decision-making while adopting and implementing entrepreneurial principles to generate enough revenue to support and eventually grow their operations. For more information about Margin & Mission Ignition, please visit thepattersonfoundation.org or join the conversation using #TPFMarginMission on social media. 

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The Child Protection Center (CPC) was selected by the Matthews Children’s Foundation to receive a grant in support of CPC’s Personal Safety and Community Awareness (PSCA) program. The funds will provide new equipment to be used in presentations on child abuse prevention and personal safety. Established in 1992, PSCA is the longest tenured prevention program in the state of Florida as well as Sarasota County’s sole provider of this type of holistic and comprehensive child abuse prevention education. PSCA has served over 800,000 individuals in its 30-plus year history. The ultimate goal of the PSCA program is the elimination of child abuse in the community through educational programs for children, parents, and community members. Additionally, the expert professionals leading this program create an environment conducive to many children’s first disclosure of their abuse experience, functioning as a crucial entry point for a child victim to the system of crisis intervention and treatment services. This support from the Matthews Children’s Foundation will help the Child Protection Center more efficiently communicate these safety and prevention messages and protect children that are susceptible to abuse. “There is an immediate need to provide education to the community to protect vulnerable children,” explained Douglas Staley, the Executive Director of CPC. “Educating teachers, children, and the community must be prioritized to the level of providing food and shelter.” The Child Protection Center’s mission is the Prevention, Intervention, & Treatment of Child Abuse, as the organization envisions a community where children are safe from abuse and free to thrive. For over 40 years, CPC has been serving Sarasota and DeSoto Counties in the State of Florida, and is accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. For more information on CPC or to book a personal safety workshop, visit www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277. 

SURFACE TONE | Countertops and floors play crucial roles in defining the overall style and aesthetic of a kitchen, July/August 2023. 

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