Member News

LAB (Learn, Achieve, Become) is experiential learning environment for individuals with disabilities
FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 15, 2019) – Aztec Plumbing and Lowe’s Home Improvement have donated plumbing  and construction services and materials for Lee Association for Remarkable Citizens’ (LARC’s) new Lab for Living.
Learn, Achieve, Become (LAB) is an experiential learning environment located on LARC’s main campus in Fort Myers that transforms traditional program areas into spaces for innovation, vocation, demonstration and learning.  LAB layers 5 experiential learning Labs and embraces a holistic strategy as a framework through which people with intellectual and developmental disabilities maximize independence and employment success.  The five Labs will focus on skills for work, residency and leisure.
The Lab for Living is the first of the Labs and is an apartment style setting that will provide participants with hands on training in daily living skills. The Lab will include a bedroom area, living and dining areas, a kitchen and laundry facilities. Daily living skills will include cooking, home management, housekeeping, laundry, menu planning, shopping, fire safety, home safety and much more.
Lowe’s Home Improvement (Lowe’s Heroes) donated and installed the cabinets and appliances, painted the room and installed the flooring.  Four local Lowe’s stores adopted LARC for additional projects including interior and exterior renovations and improvements to LARC’s Cape Coral and North Fort Myers group homes and Bonita Springs Adult Day Training Program.
Aztec Plumbing and Drains donated the plumbing materials and employees volunteered their time and labor.  “Aztec Plumbing and Drains understands the importance of giving back to the community where we live and work,” said Steve Taub, president of Aztec Plumbing and Drains.  “Our employees were excited about volunteering their time and using their expertise to support LARC’s mission of empowering individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their full potential.”
“With more than 3,700 children in Lee County schools with cognitive disabilities, LAB will create opportunities for individuals now and for generations to come,” said Kevin Lewis, executive director of LARC.  “The contributions of Lowe’s Home Improvement and Aztec Plumbing and Drains ensure that LAB will become a reality and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will have the tools to succeed.”
To learn more about LARC and LAB, contact Angela Katz, Development Director at 239-334-6285 x229 or email [email protected] or visit www.larcleecounty.org.
About LARC
Established in 1954, LARC Inc.’s mission is to empower and support individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their full potential. LARC is a 501(c)3 that provides programs and services for approximately 300 local men and women annually. The nonprofit offers vocational training, community residential services, and a vast array of other state-of-the-art community inclusion services on a full-time, year-round basis.  LARC’s main campus is located at 2570 Hanson Street, Fort Myers, and has a satellite campus in Bonita Springs.  LARC also operates two Residential Group Homes located in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.   For more information, contact Angela at 239-334-6285 x229 or visit www.larcleecounty.org.

FORT MYERS, FL. (March 8, 2019)—Coldwell Banker presents the 11th annual World Wine Tour, benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities® Southwest Florida on Thursday, April 4, 2019, at Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., wine enthusiasts will sample a variety of domestic and international wines hand-selected by CRU Executive Chef Bob Boye. Guests will indulge in lite bites from participating Bell Tower Shops restaurants, all while enjoying the musical entertainment of New Beginnings Events.
The annual event was moved from November to April in anticipation of recent enhancements being made to the Bell Tower Shops. The event space boasts new gathering areas, redesigned storefronts and a newly designed center court featuring a new stage and contemporary lighting.
Admission to the event is $40 per person. VIP tickets are available for $150 per person or $250 per couple and include event entry, plus a tasting certificate to a delectable four-course pairings dinner, presented by CRU Executive Chef, Bob Boye to use at guests’ leisure.
Tickets can be purchased at www.rmhcswfl.org/events
About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southwest Florida
Since its founding in 1996, Ronald McDonald House has served thousands of families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties, and other states and countries. Here, families find a “home away from home” while their children are undergoing medical treatment at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Additional thousands are served by the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® program, two mobile healthcare units providing medical and dental services to underserved children, and by the Ronald McDonald Family Room®, located in Golisano Children’s Hospital.
About Bell Tower Shops 
Lush landscaping, splashing fountains and open-air spaces meet high fashion, creative cuisine and “be seen” events at Bell Tower Shops. This landmark shopping, dining and entertainment destination is home to several fine retailers including eclectic boutiques and shopping favorites Williams-Sonoma, Chico’s, White House | Black Market, Victoria’s Secret, Pink, and Talbots. Exceptional shopping is complemented by distinctive restaurants: Bistro 41, Cru, DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill, Cantina Laredo, Mimi’s Cafe, Society and T.G.I. Friday’s.

Attendees Also Pledged More Than $3 Million Toward Building Campaign
(Fort Myers, Fla. – March 15, 2019) — “Love Your Neighbor”, the 11th annual event benefiting The Heights Foundation, raised more than $300,000 for educational programs for at-risk kids in Harlem Heights.  David and Linda Lucas were honored for their years of support of The Heights Foundation.  Norman Love Confections and Mark Loren Designs helped create this signature event and have supported it since its inception.
A $100,000 giving challenge was made by Bill and Caroline Bloomhall, long-time supporters of The Heights Foundation.  If the audience pledged a minimum of $100,000 in donations during the Fund-a-Need in the live auction, the Bloomhalls would match the amount.  Attendees generously met the challenge.
Kathryn Kelly, Founder, President and CEO of The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center also announced plans to build a three story educational building on The Heights Center property.   Several supporters pledged more than $3 million toward the building.  The building will house The Harlem Heights Community Charter School, a K-5 school and GLAD Kids, the organization’s preschool that serves children birth to five.
“Our mission is to build strong, self-sufficient families and education is the key to success,” said Kathryn Kelly.  “The monies raised support our educational programs that include our charter school, our early learning center, enriching after school and summer camp programs, academic tutoring, scholarship and college access assistance, school supplies, and tuition support.   We are so thankful for the support for our programs, and absolutely amazed at the generous pledges we received toward our new educational building.”
The event was held at the Gulf Harbour home of Mary Jo Little.  The VIP Pre Party was held at a custom home by Frank R. Jenkins Custom Homes.   Auctioneer Scott Robertson along with celebrity emcee Kellie Burns of NBC-2 conducted the live auction that included Sunday brunch aboard the Youngquist family’s 112-foot yacht, an in home dinner for ten by the celebrated chefs of Blanc and Black Salt Culinary, a one of a kind pendant by Mark Loren Designs, and lunch with legendary AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams.
Guests enjoyed an assortment of culinary creations from popular local restaurants and chefs including Bahama Breeze, Gather, LYNQ, Norman Love Confections, St. Charles Yacht Club, Three Fishermen Seafood Restaurant and Terra Nostra Ristorante.  VIP attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres from Black Salt Culinary.  Strange Arrangement provided musical entertainment.
Sponsors include Mark Loren Designs, Norman Love Confections, Gary and Sharyn Morgan, Kelly Brothers Marine Construction, Golisano Children’s Hospital, Entech, Mark and Gretchen Banks, Bill and Caroline Bloomhall, Dinah Bloomhall, Dave and Cheryl Copham, Robert and Ruth Ann Diefenbach, Fred and Elaine Hawkins, Rich and Sandy Heinrich, Kathryn Kleist and Kevin Derheimer, Dean and Jane Schreiner, Dennis Lapidus and Ann Marie Shields, Tom and Linda Van Wyk, Vee Yerrid and Buzz Waid and RG Architects.  Special thanks to Greg & Jo Callaway of Gulf Harbour Properties, Vandy Major Photography, Angela Brant, Jason’s Deli and Creative Sound & Lighting, Bill Rogers Productions, Harold Balink, Jennifer’s Boutique, Gina Birch, and Brodeur-Carvell Fine Apparel.
For more information about the Heights Center and The Heights Foundation visit www.heightsfoundation.org or call (239) 482-7706.
About the Heights Foundation and the Heights Center
The Heights Foundation works to build self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood.  The mission is to support education and wellness, promote family and community development, and provide the benefits of enrichment and the arts.  The Heights Center, supported by The Heights Foundation, is a place for Education, Opportunity, and Enrichment.   GLAD Kids is a child care and pre-k center serving more than 80 children birth-five.  The Harlem Heights Community Charter School currently serves kindergarten through third grade and will expand to serve up to fifth grade.
Harlem Heights was originally settled as a rural agricultural community.   Approximately 780 children live in a mixture of single-family homes and multi-family apartments. Demographically, the population is approximately 70% Hispanic, 20% African-American, and 8% Caucasian. The poverty rate for children in Harlem Heights is more than twice the county average, with family income 40% below the county average. Families are not able to easily access family support services located in downtown Fort Myers, and benefit greatly from programs located within the neighborhood.
 

MEDIA ALERT
Photo and interview opportunities available
Golisano Children’s Hospital Pro Tennis Classic returns to Suncoast Credit Union Arena
Top men’s players taking to the court for Madisen’s Match charity event
Note to Media: It’s going to be an incredible night of tennis at the annual Golisano Children’s Hospital Pro Tennis Classic being held at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Some of the world’s top tennis players, including the all-time greatest men’s doubles team of Mike and Bob Bryan, Next Gen star Taylor Fritz and 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey, will take part in this event all to benefit Madisen’s Match.
To date, Madisen’s Match has raised more than $1 million to benefit national and Southwest Florida-based charities like the Brain Tumor Navigator Program at the Regional Cancer Center, Barbara’s Friends – The Golisano Children’s Hospital Cancer Center Fund, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, and the Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation.
We look forward to seeing you there. The media alert is attached.
WHAT: Golisano Children’s Hospital Pro Tennis Classic
WHEN: Monday, March 18, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Suncoast Credit Union Arena, 13351 FSW Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33919
WHY: For the benefit of cancer treatment charities in Southwest Florida and across the country.
CONTACT: Josh Milton, CONRIC PR & Marketing, 239-690-9840, [email protected]

Spokeswoman: Beyond the Brush – The Social Commentary and Lifestyle of Myra Roberts, April 7 at The Laboratory Theater of Florida
FORT MYERS, FL (March 13, 2019) – The Laboratory Theater of Florida: Education is proud to announce that Myra Roberts will be presenting a three-hour workshop on April 7th, beginning at 1 pm.
Beyond the Brush – The Social Commentary and Lifestyle of Myra Roberts will be an interactive afternoon encompassing various aspects of this powerful artist’s lifestyle that allow her to maintain the energy levels and balance her passions with the everyday demands she juggles.
Bring your appetite, yoga mat, and creative self! The afternoon will include a mini cooking session, including recipes of healthy and easy to prepare superfoods with servings for each participant, as well as a special yoga session. Don’t have a mat? Never fear – The Lab has a few available for use. Additionally, Myra will guide each participant through an empowerment exercise using her favorite medium, art.
This class is being offered on April 7th, starting at 1 pm. The class is $100 for the afternoon and is available at www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com or by calling 239-841-4250. This class will be held in the new Arts Education Collective building behind the main theater.
ABOUT MYRA ROBERTS
Sanibel Island, Florida-based artist Myra Roberts, much of whose educational work focuses on portraits and/or social commentary issues, is working on a new exhibition titled “Spokeswoman.” Upon completion, Roberts will have about 30 paintings of remarkable women from the U.S. and throughout the world—living and deceased—who represent women’s empowerment and/or the ongoing struggle for human rights.
Roberts’ subjects are varied as diarist Anne Frank, artist Frida Kahlo, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient Malala Yousafzai, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and attorney and academic Anita Hill. Also featured will be former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, anti-Nazi political activist Sophie Scholl, Armenian Genocide survivor Aurora Mardiganian, Polish Underground heroine Irena Sendler, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and actress and social activist Audrey Hepburn.
Roberts has exhibited and lectured throughout the U.S., including at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center of Fort Myers; the Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Wilmington, Delaware (grant-funded); the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg; the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida; Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida SouthWestern State College. WGCU Public Media chose Roberts as one of five “2016 Makers: Women Who Make Southwest Florida.”
Her paintings are in public and private collections across the U.S. and Europe, including the estate of Robert Rauschenberg. She received letters of endorsement for her “Faces of Anne Frank” project from Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Myra Roberts: Artist’s Statement
My painting style is influenced by my ongoing study of magazine advertisements from the early 1900s through the 1940s, and of historical posters.
I also follow the paths of artists who have a deep commitment to social equality and who firmly believe that art can speak volumes and educate viewers.
My happy sun-drenched beach art balances my conscience-raising art. I am preserving stories and faces for future generations.
Class size is limited. To secure your spot for this incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity to learn how to live “Beyond the Brush” call 239-841-4250.
ABOUT THE LABORATORY THEATER OF FLORIDA
The Laboratory Theater of Florida, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to the promotion of the performing arts, through live performance, education, community outreach, experimentation, and the development of ensemble work. The company features ensemble productions, produces classic works, takes artistic risks, which both feature and challenge local performers. For more information visit www.LaboratoryTheaterFlorida.com or the physical location at 1634 Woodford Avenue, in the Fort Myers River District.

Southwest Florida Premiere of Andorra by Max Frisch opens at The Laboratory Theater of Florida March 29th!
FORT MYERS, FL (March 14, 2019) – In honor of Holocaust remembrance month, The Laboratory Theater of Florida is honored to present the southwest Florida premiere of “Andorra” by Max Frisch opening March 29th and running through April 14th.
Artistic director Annette Trossbach says,” the citizens of Andorra don’t come bearing tiki torches, swastikas, or burning crosses or wearing white hoods. They are not war criminals. They are everyday citizens that are complicit through neglect, ignorance, and casual racism and prejudice;  in their selfishness and intolerance, they are barely aware of how they have treated Andre… except Andre’s father, who, in his cowardice, set the entire story into motion.”
One of the most oft-produced plays in Europe, this parable about racism and prejudice is a great example of epic-theater.   Set in fictionalized Andorra, Andre is adopted by a teacher and raised as a Jew. Throughout the play, Andre is faced with outright prejudice and complicit silence from his fellow townspeople.  Frisch’s message is loud and clear: prejudice happens in every country, both in the past and the present, and we must learn to accept everyone’s differences if we are to lead happy, productive lives.
“The guilty are sitting in the stalls … They are to be frightened: they should, when they have seen the play, lie awake at night. ” -TIME
We have new seating. Rows A, B, and C are on the floor. Rows D and above are on risers.
Andorra  is generously sponsored by Ella Nayor and Jeffrey Cull.
Andorra plays from March 29th to April 14th at the Laboratory Theater of Florida.
Performance dates are as follows:
March  29, 30 at 8pm
March 31 at 2  pm
April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 at 8 pm
April 7, 14 at 2 pm.
Special events surrounding this play include:
March 28th: half-price preview night
March 30th: Pizza with cast & crew and a free show for teenagers, starts at 6:30 pm, reservations required
April 4th: Community Talkback: “The Vocabulary of Prejudice”  immediately following the performance featuring a Holocaust survivor, a camp liberator, and a former member of Hitler youth.
Tickets are available to purchase on Brownpapertickets.com or by calling the box office at 239-218-0481. For additional savings, guests may purchase a 2019-2020 Season Pass.
ABOUT THE LABORATORY THEATER OF FLORIDA
The Laboratory Theater of Florida, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is dedicated to the promotion of the performing arts, through live performance, education, community outreach, experimentation, and the development of ensemble work. The company features ensemble productions, produces classic works, takes artistic risks, which both feature and challenge local performers. For more information visit www.LaboratoryTheaterFlorida.com or the physical location at 1634 Woodford Avenue, in the Fort Myers River District.

KC & The Sunshine Band with Special Guests Village People to Perform at Seminole Casino Hotel
Saturday, April 6
Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment presents KC & The Sunshine Band with special guests Village People live in concert at Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee on Saturday, April 6  at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. All seats are reserved for this outdoor concert. Advance tickets are on sale for $60 and $25. VIP seating is also available for $139 and includes priority seating and complimentary beer, wine or soda. Tickets are now available by phone at 1-800-514-ETIX or online at www.moreinparadise.com or www.jaytv.com/florida. Attendees must be 21 years of age to purchase and be in the VIP area. Other sections are all ages welcome.
KC & the Sunshine Band have been entertaining audiences around the world for over 37 years, and have sold in excess of 100 million records. Their second album, “KC & The Sunshine Band,” was released in 1975, went triple platinum and contained the #1 hits “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “Boogie Shoes” and “Rock Your Baby.” The group’s third album, “Part 3,” released in 1976, also went triple platinum and contained the #1 singles “I’m Your Boogie Man,” “Shake Your Booty” and “Keep It Comin’ Love.” KC & The Sunshine Band’s music has been featured on more than 200 motion picture film soundtracks, including the landmark “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack.
For 40 years, the music of Village People has been putting smiles on the faces of fans all around the world. Their hits have become part of the international songbook – and heard in commercials from Pepsi to Wonderful Pistachios. The iconic “Y.M.C.A” (along with its dance) is featured at almost every party, wedding, bar mitzvah, and sporting event. With hits like “San Francisco/In Hollywood,” “Macho Man,” “YMCA,” “In the Navy” and “Go West,” Village People sold more than 100 million records worldwide and earned many awards including the American Music Award-Favorite Musical Group 1979.
April 2019 Live Music Schedule
At Zig Zag Lounge
 Performances are at the Zig Zag Lounge. No cover for live entertainment. TVs throughout the Zig Zag bar air sporting events and other entertainment. Zig Zag Lounge is Southwest Florida’s premier destination to catch your favorite teams during the NFL season. Entertainment is subject to change. For complete details, visit moreinparadise.com.
 

 
About Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee
Open 24/7; 365 days a year, Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is Southwest Florida’s premier gaming and entertainment destination. The 51,000-square-foot plus casino offers 1,400 slots and 38 live table games including Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Blackjack Switch and Spanish 21. Dining options include the award-winning 1^st Street Deli, Asian fusion restaurant Lucky Mi Noodle House, and the recently renovated and 24-hour EE-TO-LEET-KE (“The Camp”) Grill. Seminole Casino Hotel’s nightlife is highlighted by the Zig Zag lounge, home of the Zig Zag Girlz, “where the party never ends” featuring nightly live entertainment and no last call, as well as the new Corner Bar. Additional entertainment and events are held at the Seminole Center, an indoor/outdoor special event center featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. The new Seminole Casino Hotel is the first upscale hotel to open in or near Immokalee and offers suites and deluxe guestrooms with modern décor and features, plus amenities including a swimming pool with private cabanas, 24-hour fitness studio and free Wi-Fi.
Located at 506 South 1^st Street in Immokalee, Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is easily accessible to all of Southwest Florida via I-75 and Southwest Florida International Airport is only a 45-minute drive from the casino. Located between Miami and Naples, north of Alligator Alley on Highway 846, it is five blocks south of Highway 29. Approximately 30 minutes from Naples and Fort Myers, the casino is a 90-minute drive from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Seminole Casino Hotel participates in the Seminole Players Club Wild Card Rewards Program whereby players earn and redeem comp dollars at all Seminole Casinos in Florida. For more information, call toll-free (800) 218-0007 or visit moreinparadise.com  or facebook.com/SeminoleCasinoHotel/.

FORT MYERS, FLA., March 14, 2019 – Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC, of Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L.C., was honored by SalusCare, Inc., for her 28 years of public relations and fund-raising service to the non-profit organization and its predecessors.
            SalusCare presented Bennett with an award recognizing her “many years of service and support” to SalusCare along with its predecessors Lee Mental Health and Southwest Florida Addiction Services (SWFAS).
            Bennett began working with SWFAS in 1991 as a fund-raising consultant and subsequently provided public relations and marketing counseling to Lee Mental Health in the 1990s as well.  When the two agencies merged in 2013, Bennett was tapped to lead the rebranding effort for what is now known as SalusCare.
Among Bennett’s major accomplishments for the behavioral health organizations are:

• Raised $22.2 million for the agencies through capital campaigns, grant-writing and personal introductions;
• Donated more than 3,000 documented in-kind hours and contributed more than $25,000 in personal gifts;
• Earned 89 awards from the Florida Public Relations Association, including the state’s highest honor, the Dick Pope All Florida Golden Image Award for the SWFAS capital campaign that produced $9 million and made possible the Evans Avenue campus;
• Founded the “Laughter Is the Best Medicine Comedy Night” in 2015, which has become the signature event of SalusCare.

“The most satisfying reward of all is knowing that thousands of people with mental health and substance use disorders received the treatment they needed,“ Bennett said.
Bennett, an accredited and certified public relations professional with more than 48 years’ experience, founded the Fort Myers-based company that carries her name in 1991.  Since that time, Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, has become one of the most respected marketing firms in Florida with more than 200 awards from the Florida Public Relations Association, including the organization’s highest honor for the best public relations campaign in the state.
Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L.C., is a full-service public relations and marketing firm offering innovative marketing and public relations campaigns, media relations, fund-raising, results-driven marketing analyses and plans, digital strategies, website and video development, and social media management.
Bennett attributes the firm’s longevity to its passion for helping others and its deep connections within the community that have been fostered over her long career in the market.
“We owe our success to the strong relationships we have formed with our clients, as well as our creative partners who help us design marketing, media and fund-raising plans that get results,” Bennett said. “Our clients’ goals become our goals and we work tirelessly to help them achieve those goals.”
Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L.C. has represented hundreds of businesses and non-profit organizations during the past quarter century ranging from medical, banking, restaurants, and higher education to commercial enterprises,  non-profit organizations and large public service events.
In addition to “Laughter Is the Best Medicine Comedy Night,” she is the founder of the “Grande Dames Tea” for the PACE Center for Girls,  and the Founders’ Society of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, which she has served as a past Board Chair and trustee for 28 years.
Bennett estimates that her firm has donated more than $2 million in in-kind professional assistance to area non-profit organizations and helped raise more than $70 million for area non-profits and capital campaigns.
“Be good, do good and goodness will follow is my motto,” she says.
Prior to opening her company, Bennett was a Gannett Co. executive, member of the launch team of USA TODAY and former marketing director, editor and reporter at The News-Press.  She is a high honors graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and a Master of Arts degree in mass communications.
For more information, call 239-277-5255 or email [email protected].

FORT MYERS, FLA., March 12, 2019 – A panel of behavioral health experts will explore the impact of cultural beliefs and practices on mental health and substance abuse treatment at the Third Annual “Shattering the Stigma” luncheon on Monday, May 20.
The luncheon is hosted and presented by SalusCare, the region’s leading provider of behavioral healthcare, in honor of Mental Health Month.
The event begins at 11:30 a.m. with registration open at 11 a.m. at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Boulevard.
“Much of one’s access to self-acceptance, communication and treatment of a mental illness or addiction is influenced by their ethnic, familial or social beliefs. In order to help and give access, we must understand the different challenges we all are facing,” said event chair Jane Lane, who also is vice-chair of the SalusCare Board of Directors.
The panel will be moderated by Madelyn Isaacs, Ph.D., professor of counseling and department chair at Florida Gulf Coast University.  Isaacs co-founded the Public Schools Enrichment Partnership and is the secretary of the SalusCare Board of Directors.
Panelists are:

• April Brown (M.S., Ed.D., LMHC) – counselor at Genesis Counseling and president of the Gulf Coast Mental Health Counselor’s Association. Her client focus is on African-American and other ethnic backgrounds, as well as alternative lifestyles counseling.
• Indera (Singh) Demine – immigration law attorney.  Born and raised in Guyana and immigrating to the U.S. as a young adult, she is uniquely familiar with the plight of immigrants, both legally and socially.
• Yaro Garcia (Ph.D.) – Currently the clinical and accreditation coordinator of counseling at Florida Gulf Coast University, she also is the president of the SWFL Regional Human Trafficking Coalition. She is a creator of the SOAR (Stop. Observe. Act and Respond) training program to help medical providers better recognize victims of human trafficking and potential traffickers.
• Ana Leticia (Leti) Lopes (Psy.D.) – A multilingual licensed psychologist, she specializes in adolescent difficulties, special needs children, relationship issues and multi-cultural issues.  She is committed to focusing her work with each individual with an appreciation of their background and unique set of experiences to help them attain the highest quality of life.

Tickets are $40 with lunch and $50 with CEUs for mental health professionals and may be purchased by calling Todd Cordisco at (239) 791-1575.
About SalusCare, Inc.
SalusCare, Inc., is the largest, most comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program in Southwest Florida, serving nearly 16,000 people per year of all ages from seven locations in Lee County.   The non-profit organization offers crisis stabilization, detox, outpatient, residential treatment, community-based services and an Employee Assistance Program for more than 50 area companies. The majority of programs are accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
SalusCare services are not free.  Fees are charged on a sliding scale, based on family income.  In many cases, private insurance is accepted.  SalusCare is a United Way partner agency.

For all Clergy, Elders, Board members and Youth Ministry;

DATE:  Thursday, April 4th, 2019
TIME: 11:30 am- 2:00 pm
LOCATION:  First Church of the Nazarene, 13545 American Colony Blvd, FM 33912
We are so excited to finally have our Dementia Friendly House of Worship luncheon and program this year. This is a free educational program designed for all faith-based organizations, their clergy, their representatives, their leaders, and any of those who work with high school or college age groups. A hot meal will be served, with all faiths in consideration, so an rsvp is required, additionally, you may bring more than one person.  Please arrive by 11:30 so that you can sign in, get your plate and find a seat. The program will start at noon. If you are late, that is okay, please still come. Depending on the size of the crowd we have, we may be done before 2:00. Please help share this information by emailing to other churches in the Southwest Florida area.
Every 67 seconds, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s , not to mention other types of dementia. If you personally do not know of someone in your faith-based organization who has been afflicted with this disease process, you most certainly know someone who is a caregiver. Please join us and our guest panel as we share with you how to support these families. Also, please note, that we offer free training and support for your faith-based organization so that you may become a dementia friendly house of worship.