NAPLES, Fla. (Aug. 23rd, 2023) – The Moorings Park Foundation, which promotes a culture of philanthropy to enhance successful aging, has awarded $640,500 in grants to community organizations and educational institutions this year.
“You can tell a lot about the people who live at Moorings Park Communities by their amazing generosity,” says Dan Lavender, CEO of Moorings Park Communities. “In addition to countless volunteer hours, our residents demonstrate their love and empathy for the broader Southwest Florida community through substantial grants that the Moorings Park Foundation provides every year.”
Community Grants
The Moorings Park Foundation has awarded $418,500 to the following community organizations serving Collier County seniors:
- The Florida Gulf Coast Alzheimer’s Association received $6,000 to increase awareness of its services through health fairs.
- Amber’s Antibodies was granted $5,000 to help families deal with the financial burdens of a cancer diagnosis and help fund research initiatives to seek a cure.
- AVOW Hospice Foundation was awarded $20,000 for grief and bereavement services for seniors.
- Baker Senior Center received $60,000 to support its Brain Joggers Early Memory Loss Group expansion.
- Beverly’s Angels, which helps eradicate homelessness among seniors, received $35,000 to help feed and clothe homeless seniors.
- The Cancer Alliance Network, which provides financial aid, support, education, and information resources to cancer patients, received $25,000 to help senior clients.
- Collier Resource Center, which provides information, referrals, advocacy, and case management for Collier citizens, received $25,000 to expand senior outreach efforts.
- Collier Senior Center – Golden Gate was awarded $65,000 for its UPSLIDE mental health counseling program and Direct Assistance for low income seniors.
- David Lawrence Center received $22,000 to provide behavioral healthcare treatment to uninsured or underinsured seniors.
- Florida Lions Eye Clinic was granted $20,000 to help provide comprehensive eye care for seniors who cannot afford vision services.
- Hunger and Homeless Coalition of Collier County received $60,000 for its Senior Rehousing Program.
- Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance received $25,000 to help fund safe and affordable housing for low-income Immokalee residents.
- Lighthouse of Collier, Inc. Center for Blindness and Vision Loss was awarded $12,500 to help visually impaired seniors learn how to live safely and independently at home.
- Naples Take a Soldier Fishing was granted $5,000 to provide a weekend of fishing for active-duty military, retired, and wounded veterans.
- Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida, Inc. received $8,000 for its Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC) program.
- Valerie’s House, which helps children and families work through the loss of a loved one, received $10,000 for its Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program.
- Wounded Warriors of Collier County was awarded $15,000 for Senior Veterans Support Services.
Education Grants
The Moorings Park Foundation awarded $222,000 to the following educational institutions that help support students studying healthcare or other areas that serve seniors:
- Champions for Learning received $7,000 for a College and Career Preparation Program.
- Florida Gulf Coast University was awarded $25,000 to fund scholarships for nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, exercise science, athletic training, and occupational therapy students.
- Florida Southwestern State College was granted $15,000 for teaching and health professions scholarships.
- Grace Place received $40,000 for its Leaders Empowered to Achieve Dreams (LEAD) program, a college and career access program for students in grades 9-12 at Golden Gate High School.
- Guadalupe Center was awarded $35,000 for Tutor Corps college scholarships.
- Hodges University received $25,000 to aid clinical mental health counseling students and physical therapy assistants.
- Immokalee Foundation was granted $15,000 as partial funding for the Healthcare Summer Camp for students to provide hands-on learning opportunities in healthcare.
- Immokalee Technical College received $15,000 for student emergency and gap funding grants that provide additional financial support and supplement learning and/or living needs.
- Lorenzo Walker Technical College was granted $20,000 to fund scholarships for practical nursing, surgical technology, dental assistant, nursing assistant, and phlebotomy students.
- New Horizons of SWFL received $15,000 for its youth after-school education program that boosts high school graduate rates for potential CNAs, occupational therapists, social workers, and rehabilitation counselors.
- Project Explorer, Lorenzo Walker Technical College received $10,000 for a program for adults with special needs that offers hands-on experience to explore potential career paths at Moorings Park Communities.
"I have the honor of seeing firsthand the amazing impact that the generosity of our residents brings," says Georgia North, the Administrator of Moorings Park Foundation. "Their dedication to making lives better has transformed the Moorings Park Foundation into a force for good."
With a tradition of excellence that spans over more than 40 years, Moorings Park Communities is a nationally accredited, Medicare-certified, non-profit retirement living provider and one of the only Life Plan Communities in the country with A or A+ ratings by Fitch and S&P Global Ratings. The Moorings Park Foundation focuses on three avenues of service: partner, resident, and community support. From educational and community grants to scholarship awards and life-changing resident programs, Moorings Park Communities continue to achieve excellence through the generosity of individuals who choose to help advance our mission of philanthropy and charitable giving. For more information, please visit the Moorings Park Foundation website.