Since its inception, the Moorings Park Foundation’s mission has been to create a culture of philanthropy which provides opportunities to benefit the residents of Moorings Park, its employees, and the greater community.
In mid-summer of this year, the Moorings Park Foundation Board, through its executive committee, challenged the residents of Moorings Park and Moorings Park at Grey Oaks, along with members of the various operating boards of Moorings Park, to raise charitable support for seniors who are struggling in the greater Naples community. The challenge contained a daunting matching gift component.
By October, the residents of Moorings Park and the members of the community’s various operating boards had raised $100,000. An anonymous resident donor matched that amount.
Due to the generosity of all involved, the Moorings Park Foundation Board released significant donations into the community to the Senior Friendship Health Center, the Naples Senior Center, the Golden Gate Senior Center, and to Step Smart Collier.
Using a strong team of volunteers, the Senior Friendship Health Center provides for the medical and dental needs of underserved seniors. Each year, nearly 3,000 patients visit this clinic where lives are changed. Many of their patients come to the clinic in a state of decline, unable to maintain good health and general wellness. Diabetes, hypertension, COPD, congestive heart failure and obesity are common conditions, however, cancers are also detected and the restorations of smiles through their dental volunteers are regular occurrences.
After the completion of an expansion initiative late last year, the Naples Senior Center now boasts more than 1,000 members. Offering a variety of popular programs for socialization, health and well-being, the Naples Senior Center also serves as a portal to licensed mental health counseling, geriatric case management, dementia and respite support services, and the JFCS food pantry, a set of services that are at the core of JFCS of Southwest Florida.
The Golden Gate Senior Center serves as a collaborative gateway for Collier’s aging population, focusing on the well-being of their senior members and connecting them to vital resources that enhance their quality of life. The Golden Gate Senior Center has more than 575 proud members. It provides job placement for low income seniors, a daily hot lunch program and a weekly food pantry, along with a variety of successful programs for socialization, health and well-being.
Step Smart Collier is a volunteer program focused on educating the community’s older adults on fall prevention measures. Step Smart Collier’s community events discuss the common causes and preventive measures that can be implemented to avoid falls, along with providing complimentary balance testing, and resources for medication management and safety devices.
