Good News Friday: Good Deeds - May 29, 2015
Commonwealth Cares, a private foundation of Boston-based Commonwealth Financial Network, recently visited Children First’s Helen R. Payne Annex for an employee “give back” day. During the visit, a group of approximately 50 volunteers from Commonwealth Cares repainted the exterior of the Helen R. Payne Annex to match Children First’s other locations throughout the area, installed fencing, spruced up the front entrance with paint and landscaping, and purchased some new playground equipment for the early childhood education center’s bike path.
The Volunteer Auxiliary of Doctors Hospital of Sarasota recently awarded $60,000 in college scholarships to local high school seniors pursuing careers in health care. The awards were given at the annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony held earlier this month.
The Patterson Foundation contributed $70,000 to its international partner NetHope following the earthquakes in Nepal. The gift helped NetHope respond quickly and begin restoring connectivity throughout Nepal to help NGOs communicate and coordinate relief efforts.
SunTrust awarded a grant of $10,000 to Goodwill Manasota to promote financial literacy training for low- and moderate-income workers in the community through a program funded last year by the bank. The recent grant has enabled Goodwill to bring its already established internal financial literacy program, which was piloted to Goodwill employees, to the community; the support is being utilized to increase the reach and impact of the financial literacy coach at Goodwill.
The Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Auxiliary will present a $25,000 donation next Monday, June 1, to the Food Bank of Manatee, an arm of Meals On Wheels PLUS of Manatee.
The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Sarasota Class of 2015 hosts the grand opening of the Bay Preserve Discovery Zone tomorrow, May 30. The new outdoor learning center opens at 11 a.m. and the celebration goes until 2 p.m. Organizations and businesses attending include Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, Home Depot Kids Workshop, Gold Coast Distributing, Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Southern Smoke BBQ, Paradise Pops, Gecko’s Grill & Pub, Hospice Caring Clowns, KGB Evo Martial Arts, Sarasota Trolley, AAA, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota’s Teddy Bear Clinic, Katelyn Prisco Photography and Common Ground Adventures. Project contributors include Kimal Lumber, Lowes, The Home Depot, J&T Holland Nursery, Dave’s Integrity Tree Service and Sun Hydraulics. Go here for more information or to RSVP.