ABC MEMBERS “HELPING PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EDYTH BUSH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Continues their Mission Nearly Half a Century Later

In 1966, Edyth Bush moved permanently to Winter Park, FL and established the Edyth Bush Foundation with the mission of alleviating human suffering and to help people help themselves. Nearly half a century later, the foundation continues to create innovative civic solutions to implement their motto and to help nonprofit organizations be better managed, governed, and led.

In August 2020, the foundation announced a new landmark building to replace its existing space in the heart of Winter Park near Park Avenue. Completed in 2022, the new, modern headquarters building is affectionately called “The Edyth” and weaves its philanthropic legacy with the founder’s remarkable background and historic city roots. The vision for the building was to draw from the influences, inspire its surroundings and become an extension of the community.

Jack Jennings & Sons, Inc. served as the general contractor for the 17,000 SF, three-story facility with structural steel frame and a glazed curtain wall exterior. N-RG Cladding was contracted for the exterior finishes scope for the new headquarters. The project was completed over 20 months which included dealing with COVID as well as material shortages.

Demolition of the existing building as well as the construction of the new facility required extensive coordination of material deliveries and crane usage while working in an active area with a restaurant just 14” away. The exterior now has an elegant landscape seating area as well as a paver gathering area at the front entrance which has a 20-foot-wide folding door system that, when opened, allows the lobby to flow out to the hardscape. A covered outdoor terrace on the third floor allows for a great view to the east.

Central Florida Chapter MEMBERS

• Certified Finishes

• Interior Specialties, Inc.

• Jack Jennings & Sons, Inc.

• KENPAT

• Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc.

• N-RG Cladding, LLC

• Sutter Roofing Company of Florida

• The Plummer Painting Company

• Tri-City Electrical Contractors, Inc.

• Westbrook Service Corporation

The glass façade creates a porous cohesion between person and place. In giving the community a view into the building, the project promotes outreach, serving as a backdrop for a variety of events, meetings, networking, showcases, and art performances. By creating adaptable spaces for public use, the project intends to activate the building beyond the typical workday and realize its vision of being a true physical extension of the community.

Edyth Bush’s affinity for dance, theater, and the arts is reinforced in the design of the new headquarters, creating an “urban stage” that distinguishes the building from its immediate surrounding during the day and allows the interior to come alive at night. The foundation has an innovative and modern new home to continue Edyth’s legacy of community activism and deep and abiding affection for people, especially those less fortunate.