Posts Tagged: 2017

As the campaign for A Commitment to Memory advances, we are delighted to welcome new donors who have opted to participate: our business partners. It is truly a pleasure to experience the generosity of the organizations we partner with on new construction, renovations, and technology.

Willis Smith Construction has made a pledge of $50,000 towards our campaign. We are happy to recognize their commitment by placing their name on the new Private Dining Room that will be adjacent to the Assisted Living Dining Room. “Our residents and employees see Willis Smith representatives as part of the Plymouth Harbor team,” commented President/CEO Harry Hobson. “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Willis Smith as a prominent member of our philanthropic efforts, especially for this important and long-awaited project.”

The Loyola Group, who has been responsible for building our technology infrastructure to accommodate all of our new IT efforts, such as campus-wide WiFi, the telephone system, nurse call system, and much more, has pledged $25,000 to the campaign. Their gift will be recognized by placing their name on the Family Conference Room and Resource Center on the second floor. Dan Cavolo, President of the Loyola Group, shared that it was very important to him to be part of this campaign, supporting not only the new building, but Plymouth Harbor’s overall mission.

Energy Air, Inc., the supplier of our HVAC in the Northwest Garden Building, Pilgrim Hall, and other projects throughout Plymouth Harbor, has committed to a $5,000 gift toward the project. Charles Kulp, Founder of Energy Air, thanked us for the time and effort we have put into this project.

As of this writing, the campaign total is at $2,949,095 (or 98%) of our $3,000,000 goal. We are delighted to welcome all of our participants and hope that more are inspired to give as we grow closer and closer to our goal. Every gift makes a difference, and every donor is sincerely appreciated and will be recognized on the donor wall. We have reached out to more of our consistent business partners and hope to be able to announce more support soon! Please join me in thanking and welcoming those at Willis Smith Construction, The Loyola Group, and Energy Air to our list of 106 donors!

Please join us in thanking Dee and Jim Gaylord, who have generously established a $2,000 nursing education scholarship.

The scholarship will be funded and awarded annually, beginning in 2018, to employees or children of employees seeking post-secondary degrees, certifications, or specialty training in the field of nursing, specifically Certified Nurse Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, or a post-secondary or graduate degree in nursing. Applicants must have been employed for at least 12 months prior to application.

We are very happy to announce the scholarship awards this year to employees and children of employees. It gives us great pleasure to assist individuals as they pursue their passions through advancing their training and education.

Dianna Stilley, Charleen Sessions Scholarship ($2,000)
Dianna is a Certified Nursing Assistant in our Home Care department currently. She is enrolled at Angel Technical Institute to earn her LPN so that she can pursue her passion as a nurse. Dianna relayed a story where her neighbor had collapsed one day in the yard and she administered CPR until the paramedics arrived. She knew at that moment that nursing was her calling.

Carol Bello, Foundation Scholarship ($2,000)
Carol is currently a server in Dining Services. She graduated this spring from Florida State University and aspires to practice law. She has applied for a scholarship to help fund a preparatory course for the LSAT (the exam required for all law school applicants), which will help her to be accepted into the two law schools of her choice. This is the fourth year that Carol has received a Foundation scholarship. An advocate for human rights, Carol’s overall goal is to become a Human Rights Officer for the United Nations.

Kimberly Gutierrez, Jane T. Smiley Scholarship ($2,000)
Kimberly is the daughter of José Gutierrez, a Plymouth Harbor Employee in Dining Services. Kimberly is attending Suncoast Technical College to earn her Early Childhood Education certification. She is a kind, gentle soul, with deep compassion for young children and helping them to achieve their goals. She has been inspired by her parents, who are hard workers and deeply committed to the success of their children. Kimberly hopes to one day open her own daycare center.

Nathan Stotler, Foundation Scholarship ($2,000)
Nathan is the son of Kay Stotler, a nurse in our Home Care department. Nathan is studying communications at State College of Florida and aspires to a career in cinematography someday. His recommenders describe him as a very determined young man who sets and achieves ambitious goals for himself. He is a polished communicator and has set his sights on a career he is passionate about.

Devin Vancil, Jeannette Gehrie Music Scholarship ($1,500)
Devin is the 13-year-old son of Fran Vancil in our Maintenance department. Devin has an interest in violin and wishes to take lessons to improve his skills. He is enrolled at Allegro Music Academy and began his lessons in July. Devin is intelligent and respectful, and has recently been accepted into the National Junior Honor Society. We know we will see impressive things come from this young man.

Dayle Cortes, Foundation Scholarship ($2,000)
Dayle is the son of Hernando Cortes, a nurse in our Smith Care Center. This is the second year of Dayle’s scholarship support as he enters his second year at University of Florida Innovations Academy. He recently changed his major from accounting to marketing and aspires to be a successful entrepreneur one day. He is a confident, respectful, and driven young man who we have no doubt will achieve his goals.

Jessica Taylor, Foundation Scholarship ($2,000)
Jessica, daughter of Cindy Taylor in our Home Care department, is pursuing an education in pharmacy. Currently at State College of Florida completing her associate’s degree with prerequisites for pharmacy, she plans to transfer to LECOM via their bridge program to complete the pharmacy program. This is a career track that has been a long time passion for Jessica.

Helen Duerr, Residents Association Scholarship ($2,000)
Helen is the daughter of Eva Duerr, registered nurse in our Smith Care Center and Staff Development Coordinator. Helen is a nursing student at State College of Florida pursuing her RN and, eventually, a bachelor’s in nursing. She hopes to work in pediatrics, neonatal, or obstetrics, something involving children. She is passionate about nursing, having shared a story about tagging along with her mother while Eva tended to her home care patients. She was inspired by the love her mother has always had for patient care and making her patients feel comforted and well cared for.

Cathy Laponius, Harry and Nancy Hobson Leadership Development Grant ($800)*
Cathy works in our Dining Services department and plans to complete the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) training to receive her certification. With support from the Dining Services department, and a commitment on her part, we will be fortunate to have another CDM among our talented staff.

*The Harry and Nancy Hobson Leadership Development Grant provides support for employees who show interest in leadership and advancement in their field. This is the first award for this grant program, which was established in 2015.

By: Becky Pazkowski

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 Doyle Scholarships: Teah Stebbins and Caleb Genot. Each student has received a scholarship totaling $10,000, which is an increase in the Doyle award this year.

Teah Stebbins
Teah is a high school senior attending Sarasota High School, while also enrolled in the nursing program at Suncoast Technical College. Her goal is to continue her education at Suncoast to become a Licensed Practical Nurse and continue to earn Registered Nurse status, and later a bachelor’s in nursing. She began at Plymouth Harbor as a Dietary Aide early in her high school experience, and has since become a Certified Nurse Assistant in the Smith Care Center. Needless to say, Teah is highly motivated, focused, and ambitious in her career path.

Caleb Genot
Caleb is a senior at Riverview High School in the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and Honors programs. His goal is to study biology at Nova Southeastern University, followed by osteopathic medicine, specializing in neuro-immune medicine. He is very interested in working on more effective treatments or cures for diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Disease, and disorders that result in dementia. Caleb has been with Plymouth Harbor as a Valet for over a year. In his school and volunteer life, Caleb is involved in fundraising, teen court, competitive soccer, and is a camp counselor.

By: Becky Pazkowski

A Commitment to Memory campaign is in full swing, with current gifts exceeding $2,345,000! The Campaign Committee is reaching out to neighbors and friends to ask for participation in the campaign. Our goal is to reach the $3 million by November 1st, when we cut the ribbon for the Grand Opening.

The campaign support will give us the opportunity to build a premier program in Educational Leadership and Inspirational Programming, unlike no other in our region. Specifically, $2 million will go into an income-generating Designated Investment Fund, from which we will draw off 5 percent (or $100,000) annually to specifically support the Educational Leadership ($40,000) and Inspirational Programming ($60,000). The balance of $1 million will support the capital resources needed to deliver these programs.

We hope you will all be interested in learning more about how you could be part of this campaign. We are able to take pledges payable over a five-year period and there are naming opportunities for you to consider, should that be of interest. If you have questions or would like to know more, please contact one of the Campaign Committee members or me (Becky Pazkowski) at Ext. 398.

Campaign Committee: Honorary Chairs: Gerry and (the late) Walt Mattson; Campaign Co-Chairs: Barry and Phil Starr; Committee Members: Marie and Tom Belcher, Joan Sheil and Bruce Crawford, Jack Denison, Charles Gehrie, Jean Glasser, Harry Hobson, Jeanne Manser, Ann and Ray Neff, Cade Sibley, Nancy Lyon and Tom Towler; Staff: Joe Devore, Becky Pazkowski.

As residents of Sarasota since 1997, Drs. Sarah and George Pappas have a strong tie to Plymouth Harbor. Sarah first became aware of Plymouth Harbor 30 years ago through Peggy Bates, a very prominent person at New College of Florida and in the Sarasota community. In 2012, Sarah joined the Plymouth Harbor, Inc. Board of Trustees. She ended her term in January 2017, and served as Vice Chair for two years.

In November 2017, when the highly-anticipated Northwest Garden opens, Sarah and George will join us on the Plymouth Harbor campus as residents of the new building. In the meantime, the two are busy “rightsizing,” selling their home, and preparing for the move into their new apartment — in addition to balancing their work life.

Sarah is the current President of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, and the past president of Manatee Community College (now State College of Florida). While Sarah plans to step down from her position at the Selby Foundation this coming June, she is sure to remain busy with her positions on the Board of the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club and her recent appointment to the Ringling Museum Board of Trustees.

George is a talented abstract artist whose work can be found at the Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art Gallery, and additional galleries in Tampa and New Smyrna Beach. In fact, in 2011, the Ringling Museum acquired one of his works, “Double Trouble,” for its permanent collection. In addition, up until last year, George served on the Board of Trustees at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

Both Sarah and George spent much of their lives working in higher education. Sarah received her master’s degree in social science education from the University of South Florida and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Nova Southeastern University. Her career spans 40 years at three community colleges and the University of Central Florida. George studied at the Massachusetts College of Art, then continued his arts-related education with a master’s from Harvard and Ph.D. from Penn State University. After teaching at Northern Iowa University and Penn State, he taught art education for 27 years at the University of South Florida, serving 10 years as chair of the art department.

When asked why they chose Plymouth Harbor as their new home, Sarah responded, “The fact that Plymouth Harbor was a non-profit was number one for us. The practice of having residents on the Board was another attraction. Since both George and I spent our whole lives in higher education, it reminded us of the shared governance that is seen in universities and colleges. It really impressed us.”

What are they most looking forward to in living in the Northwest Garden and at Plymouth Harbor? The couple highlighted their brand-new apartment, and its 10-foot ceilings and plentiful wall space to display George’s artwork, as well as the Bistro just down the hall for entertaining friends. Additionally, George plans to use their second bedroom as his art studio overlooking their waterfront view, and together, they plan to take advantage of the many lectures, seminars, and activities that take place on campus.

As November quickly approaches, we certainly look forward to welcoming Sarah and George.

Former President and CEO for the New College Foundation, John Cranor, III has over 30 years of management experience in the food service and retail industries, including senior executive positions with Pepsi-Cola North America, Taco Bell Corporation, Wilson Sporting Goods, and Frito-Lay Company.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from New College of Florida and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University Graduate School of Business. He also received an honorary Doctorate from Bellarmine University. John currently serves as the non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. In addition to serving on the Plymouth Harbor, Inc. Board of Trustees, John now joins the Plymouth Harbor Foundation Board of Trustees.

In March 2017, Plymouth Harbor published the Northwest Garden Building, a special edition of the Harbor Light resident newsletter. This publication is intended to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the Northwest Garden Building. Please note that the images used in this publication are only renderings, not exact depictions of what each space will look like in terms of décor, design, etc.

To view the electronic version of this publication, click here.

By: Becky Pazkowski

On March 17, at the third of the three-part Series A Look Inside, The Plymouth Harbor Foundation announced that over the last nine months a campaign committee has been working quietly to garner support for the Memory Care Program and Residence. The result of that early work is nearly 50 gifts that total over $2,337,000 toward the $3 million campaign! This announcement marks the official launch of the campaign, and we will work diligently between now and the November opening to raise the additional funds needed to meet the goal.

What will the $3 million support?
The $3 million raised in this campaign will establish a premier program in innovative care. The funding will be divided into two pieces: $2 million into a Designated Investment Fund, and $1 million for Capital Resources necessary to support programs. You will find these two components described in detail below.

Designated Investment Fund ($2 million)
This fund will generate income, from which we will draw $100,000 (or five percent) annually to support our two program components: Educational Leadership and Inspirational Programming.

Educational Leadership ($40,000)
We have adopted the Positive Approach™ to Care (PAC), developed by Teepa Snow, whose techniques and training models are used throughout the world. Campus-wide training on this approach is ongoing for all of our employees caring for and interacting with persons with dementia. The premier program funded by the campaign will allow us to expand the training to include family members and the community-at-large. Educational Leadership and associated annual cost is defined by four components:

Staff Training ($10,000): We currently train all of our staff in the PAC model, and we will continue to do so on a semi-annual basis. With the additional funding from the campaign, we will be able to increase the frequency to quarterly, or even monthly training.

Family Support and One-On-One Counseling ($10,000): We plan to continue our family support groups, which have proven beneficial to those experiencing dementia with a loved one. With funding from the campaign, we will be able to offer one-on-one support and counseling.

Lecture Series ($15,000): We plan to bring local experts to share the latest in research and treatment of dementia. With the additional funding, we will be able to look beyond our own backyard to bring nationally- and internationally-known experts who will share their knowledge on the latest breakthrough research and treatments, to bring us hope that progress is being made throughout the world.

Community Education ($5000): The additional funding from the campaign will allow us to offer community education, outside of our campus, to help demystify and normalize behaviors associated with dementia-related diseases.

Inspirational Programming ($60,000)
A diagnosis of dementia is devastating for the entire family. We understand it is the present in which one must live…to seek and celebrate the joy and connection that happen in a moment. The premier programs that we will establish will bring fulfilling opportunities to spark that engagement in the moment within each resident. This will be accomplished through:

Expressive arts and wellness programs ($10,000): To encourage our residents to connect and communicate throughout their journey. While our program will include staff-driven activities, the campaign funding will allow us to bring professional therapists to our campus.

Spiritual and faith-based programs ($10,000): To nourish the souls of our residents through this stage of their life. The funding from the campaign will allow us to supplement our own chaplain-led offerings with guest pastors and spiritual leaders in the community.

Intellectually stimulating programs ($20,000): Offered by staff to fulfill the need for human curiosity, while celebrating skills and capabilities residents spent their lifetime developing. The additional funding will make it possible to expand these programs to deliver individually-designed and executed plans for each resident.

Social opportunities ($20,000): Offered frequently by staff, these events will create community. The additional funding will allow us to bring all residents, families, and staff together for professionally-led musical concerts, receptions, and holiday events that are so important to stay connected and engaged with our loved ones.

Capital Resources ($1 million)
The education and programming described above requires additional capital resources to deliver the premier program level of which we are so capable. These items include, but are not limited to:

– Water features, interactive musical instruments, and shaded seating in the Courtyard Gardens.
– Brain games such as “It’s Never Too Late,” chapel equipment, and musical instruments in Family Rooms.
– Massage recliners and sound systems in the Reflection Rooms.
– Aquariums, tactile interactions, and sensory stations in the Sensory Circles.
– Art, musical, and fitness equipment in the Life Enrichment Centers.
– And so much more.

When philanthropy — your philanthropy — is combined with the vision of others, an opportunity emerges to establish Plymouth Harbor as the premier leader in inspirational care and education for those challenged with dementia. This is important to our current and future memory care residents and their families. We hope it is important to all of you, too.

By: Becky Pazkowski

The grief of losing someone near and dear to us is very personal. Comfort may come in a variety of forms. When my mother died at age 73 (way too soon, in my mind), I struggled with doing something meaningful and positive at a time when I wasn’t feeling too positive. Since her illness was very rare, I couldn’t make a donation to support research into it, as there wasn’t really an organization that did that. What I, and others, settled on was a non-profit that she gave to throughout her lifetime. Somehow, through making a donation in her memory to an organization that she was passionate about made sense to me, and it helped me to find some comfort with her death.

Memorial gifts to the Plymouth Harbor Foundation have been a source of comfort to families, knowing that gifts support programs and capital projects for the good of everyone at Plymouth Harbor. In 2016 alone, over 100 memorial gifts were made, totaling more than $14,000. We put these donated dollars to work supporting programs, employee education, training, hardship cases, and many other causes. Just as I had received some comfort knowing that another’s life would be made better as a result of my mother’s death, our hope is that memorial donors find peace and solace knowing the same.

Posts Tagged: 2017

The Spirit of Philanthropy: Support From Our Partners

The Spirit of Philanthropy: Gaylord Scholarship Benefits Employees

The Spirit of Philanthropy: 2017 Scholarships

The Spirit of Philanthropy: 2017 Doyle Scholarships

The Foundation Makes A Commitment to Memory

The Northwest Garden: From Board Member to Resident

The Foundation Board Welcomes New Trustee: John Cranor, III

The Northwest Garden Building: A Look Inside

The Foundation Makes A Commitment to Memory

Foundation News: Memorial Gifts

The New Northwest Garden

Addie H., Resident since 2011

Cynda G., Resident since 2013