Naples Garden Club awarded $93,000 in grants and scholarships at its April 2016 meeting. The Club raises funds from its annual House & Garden Tour fundraising event, which is conducted each February.
2016 grants included:
Photo L to R: Marci Seamples, Director of Development, Naples Zoo; Jane Billings, Executive Director, Friends of Foster Children Forever, Inc.; Lindsey Touchette, Director of Major Gifts, Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation; Jack Mulvena, President and CEO, Naples Zoo; Ali Diaz, Donor Services Manager, ECHO; Alexandra Sindorf, Community Garden Intern, ECHO; Cindy Learned, Director of Development, Naples Botanical Garden; Brian Holley, CEO, Naples Botanical Garden; Jinx Liggett, Executive Director, Youth Haven; Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, President and CEO, JFCS of Southwest Florida; Trisha Griffin Porter, Foundation & Grants Development Officer, Naples Botanical Garden; Roberta Ross, President, Naples Garden Club; Joyce Zirkle, Director of Finance and Operations, Youth Haven; Karen Aldana, Development Coordinator, Habitat for Humanity.
- $5,000 to Friends of Foster Care to fund high school student interns at Naples Botanical Garden.
- $10,000 to ECHO, Inc. to sponsor a Community Garden intern. ECHO is dedicated to equipping people worldwide with the agricultural resources and skills needed to reduce hunger.
- $10,000 to JFCS to fund field trips and garden projects for senior citizens at Naples Senior Center.
- $15,000 to Naples Botanical Garden to support three interns.
- $15,000 to Naples Botanical Garden to send 15 attendees to the American Public Gardens Association National Conference.
These 24 Emerging Professionals attended the American Public Gardens Association National Conference in Miami. Eight Naples Botanical Garden young professionals were able to attend due to NGC grant.
- $2,000 to establish Naples Garden Club Scholarships for Camp Wekiva in Apopka, FL. The funds will support four 2016 summer camp scholarships at the week-long camp run entirely by members of Florida’s 100-plus garden clubs.
- $10,000 to Youth Haven for creation of an “Edible Campus and Learning Garden” for residential youth.
- $5,000 to Naples Zoo to assist in revitalization of the Backyard Habitat/Butterfly Garden.
- $11,000 to Florida Gulf Coast University for scholarship support.
Below is a letter from Taylor Burnham, a former NGC intern and now the Buehler EnablingGarden Coordinator at NBG.
Uzair Iqbal, current FGCU student and Naples Garden Club intern