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:

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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.
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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.

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Uzair Iqbal, current FGCU student and Naples Garden Club intern