Guide to Charitable Giving by the NonProfit Business Council 2020

by the

Community Foundation Ocala/Marion County

We provide a variety of channels to actively connect donors with nonprofits fulfilling their missions.

Through our Nonprofit Resource Center and programs, the Estate Planning Council of Marion County and the NonProfit Business Programs Of The Community

Council, we provide

Foundation Ocala/Marion County

collaboration among leadership sectors to impact

BUSINESS COUNCIL

E S TAT E PLANNING COUNCIL of MARION COUNTY

CREATE a philanthropic community where giving back comes naturally

PROFIT

RESOURCE

CENTER

CONNECT leadership and resources to protect and propel our community

social and cultural change in our community.

CAPITALIZE funding causes that are improving our community

Building A Stronger Community... ONE PASSION AT A TIME

learn more today...

352-622-5020 www.OcalaFoundation.org

The AdventHealth Ocala Foundation supports programs and services throughout AdventHealth Ocala.

Through compassionate donations and acts of gratitude, our Foundation funds new facilities, and leading-edge equipment and technology to advance medicine, enhance patient experiences and provide world-class healthcare, close to home.

With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, we strive to help more people feel whole and live their healthiest, happiest life possible.

It is with our community’s generous spirit and support that our Foundation can fund lifechanging initiatives that benefit you, your loved ones, and our neighbors. Your generosity heals.

Learn more about the Foundation or schedule a tour by contacting Tracye: 352-690-5623 or Tracye.Berry-Williams@AdventHealth.com Tracye Williams, MBA Executive Director, AdventHealth Ocala Foundation

AHNP SECDON Ocala Foundation Ad_8x4.8125_(F).indd 1

8/29/19 3:17 PM

“ In case you were wondering if banks have a heart, we do.”

– Karen Hatch

Vice President - Commercial Lender

ARC Altrusa International of Ocala ∙ Alzheimer’s Association ∙ American Cancer Society ∙ American Heart Association ∙ Arnette House ∙ Belleview High School ∙ Big Hammock Race Series ∙ Blessed Trinity ∙ Boy Scouts ∙ Boys & Girls Club of Marion County ∙ Children’s Home Society of Florida ∙ Children’s Miracle Network ∙ Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County ∙ College of Central Florida ∙ Cornerstone School ∙ Corvette Club of Marion County ∙ FAFO ∙ First Tee of Greater Ocala ∙ Florida Center for the Blind, Inc. ∙ Forest High School ∙ Heart of Florida Youth Ranch ∙ Hospice ∙ Humane Society of Marion County ∙ Hunger Fight ∙ Interfaith Emergency Services, Inc. ∙ Junior Achievement ∙ Kids Central, Inc. ∙ Kimberly’s Center ∙ March of Dimes Foundation ∙ Marion Ballet Theater ∙ Marion County Building Industry Association, Inc. ∙ Marion County Children’s Alliance ∙ Marion County Leadership Foundation ∙ Marion County Literacy Council, Inc. ∙ Marion County Sheriff’s Office Foundation ∙ Marion County Stormwater Program ∙ Marion County Youth Football League (MCYFL) ∙ Young Life ∙ Marion County Public School Foundation ∙ Meadowbrook Academy ∙ Ocala Camp Kiwanis Foundation, Inc ∙ Ocala Civic Theatre ∙ Ocala Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault ∙ Ocala Film Foundation ∙ Ocala Royal Dames ∙ Ocala Symphony Orchestra, Inc. ∙ Open Arms Village ∙ Pace Center for Girls, Inc. ∙ PACOR ∙ Pioneer Garden Club ∙ Public Education Foundation of Marion County, Inc. ∙ Reilly Arts Center ∙ Samaritan Center ∙ Southeastern Youth Fair ∙ The Art of Medicine Foundation, Inc. ∙ Transitions Life Center ∙ United Way of Marion County ∙ Vanguard High School ∙ Veterans Helping Veterans ∙ Voices for Change Animal League ∙ Westport High School ∙ Women of Worth ∙ Women’s Pregnancy Center ∙ Wounded Warrior Project ∙ YMCA, Frank DeLuca Family Center

1632 East Silver Springs Boulevard, Ocala | 352.368.6800 CenterStateBank.com

NMLS# 403455

From Lauren DeIorio

D

ear Neighbor, It is our great pleasure to present the NonProfit Business Council’s Guide to Charitable Giving for the second straight year. The NonProfit Business Council, a program of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, promotes positive economic impacts of nonprofits, strengthens their leadership capacity and promotes collaboration and philanthropic education throughout the community. In partnership with Ocala Style, this publication of the NonProfit Business Council promises to be a resource for you all year long.

We’ve included 120 Marion County nonprofit listings, articles of interest covering an array of topics, statistics on the health and dedication of our nonprofits, a calendar with fundraisers to look for as you plan 2020 and much more.

For the most detailed calendars, check out: www.OcalaStyle.com/calendar www.OcalaFoundation.org/events

Photo by Carlos Ramos

At the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, we are dedicated to the needs of the community we call home. With the opening of the Nonprofit Resource Center, it is our goal to enhance the sustainability of the nonprofit community while continuing to build a stronger community, one passion at a time. Part of that community building is helping individuals and businesses create philanthropic giving plans. We can help you ensure your giving is intentional and purposeful, and your resources are going to causes you want to support. That’s why we offer donor advised funds and corporate advised funds and are keenly aware of the many unique needs of our local nonprofits. It would be our pleasure to connect your philanthropy to your passion while fulfilling a need in our community. Let us know how we can help with your plans for giving.

We hope you’ll enjoy the information we’ve provided in these pages.

Executive Director, Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County Former Chair, NonProfit Business Council

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Nonprofit Resource Center

B

ring more money and resources into this community! That was the call heard loud and clear by community leaders that led to the formation of the Nonprofit Resource Center. The Center opened in the spring of 2019 as a collaborative partnership among the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, City of Ocala, Marion County, the Marion County Hospital District and AdventHealth. Located strategically off U.S. 441 near downtown Ocala, the center responds to the growing needs of community nonprofits and provides solutions to nonprofits in need of various levels of assistance, starting with grant services.

With a passion to bring additional dollars into the community, the grant services team is available to research

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available grants from around the nation and pair nonprofit needs with potential funding sources. They offer complimentary discovery meetings where they will research the nonprofit’s specific needs, present client proposals and create work plans to find grants to potentially meet those needs. They also offer grant writing and editing, evaluation and data collection, plan preparation and reporting assistance.

In addition to the grant services division, the Nonprofit Resource Center offers strategic planning support for nonprofits, nonprofit technical assistance, professional development, capacity building tools, community partnership services and more. With meeting space and some office space available to non-

Photography by Meagan Gumpert profits, the Nonprofit Resource Center continues to be the go-to location for community nonprofits.

As nonprofit needs arise, the center will continue to answer the call to ensure nonprofits have the tools and resources to be effective and successful in meeting the community’s growing needs.

Upcoming plans for the Resource Center include Finance and Accounting Resource Counseling, board development, communications, nonprofit/for-profit CEO mentoring program, fund development services and prospective board member resource connection. Stay tuned as these services come on board.

To learn more visit OcalaFoundation.org or call (352) 622-5020

Alzheimer's Association • American Cancer Society • American Heart Association • Appleton Museum of Art • Blessed Trinity Catholic Church • Blessed Trinity Catholic School • Boys & Girls Clubs • College of Central Florida Crime Stoppers Marion County • Frank DeLuca YMCA Family Center • Children's Home Society of Florida • Crime Stoppers Marion County • Habitat for Humanity • Historic Ocala Preservation Society • Humane Society of Marion County • Interfaith Emergency Services • Junior Achievement • Kimberly's Center • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • Make-A-Wish Foundation • Hospice of Marion County • March of Dimes • Marion County Literacy Council • Marion Technical Institute • Marion Theatre • Marion/Alachua County MADD Chapter • MDA • National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation • Ocala Elks Lodge • Ocala Rotary Club • Ocala Shrine Club • Ocala/Marion County CEP • Public Education Foundation • Salvation Army • St. John Lutheran School • Trinity Catholic High School • United Way of Marion County • • Ocala Royal Dames For Cancer Research • Alzheimer's Association • American Cancer Society • American Heart Association • Appleton Museum of Art • Blessed Trinity Catholic Church • Blessed Trinity Catholic School • Boys & Girls Club • Frank DeLuca YMCA Family Center • Children's Home Society of Florida • Crime Stoppers Marion County • Habitat for Humanity • Historic Ocala Preservation Society • Humane Society of Marion County • Interfaith • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • Emergency Services • Junior Achievement • Kimberly's Center — Frank DeLuca Make-A-Wish Foundation • Hospice of Marion County • March of Dimes • Marion County Literacy Council • • Marion Technical Institute • Marion Theatre • Ocala Royal Dames For Cancer Research • MDA • National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation • Ocala Rotary Club • United Way of Marion County • Ocala FRANK DELUCA Shrine Club • Ocala/Marion County CEP • Public Education Foundation • Kimberly's Center • Salvation Army OWNER/PRESIDENT • St. John Lutheran School • Trinity Catholic High School • Ocala Elks Lodge • American Cancer Society • Children's Home

“Giving back... not only does it feel good, it’s the right thing to do.”

1719 SW COLLEGE RD SR 200 • OCALA, FL

352-732-0770 www.DELUCATOYOTA.com

of Marion County Feel better. Live better.

Of all the promises we make, the promise to remember is the most meaningful.

For over 35 years, Hospice of Marion County has been helping families keep memories alive.

Memorializing a loved one through a donation to Hospice of Marion County is a heartfelt way of remembering and giving to others.

We deeply appreciate your support, which makes compassionate care available to those who depend on us most.

Learn about the many ways your gift can help.

Visit: www.hospiceofmarion.com/donate

Hospice of Marion County • Your not-for-profit Hometown Hospice • PO Box 5460 • Ocala, FL • 352.873.7400 2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Know Where Your Dollars Are Going

W

hen you consider giving to nonprofits, it’s important to understand your donations are doing what you intended them to do. It’s also important to do your homework so you have confidence in your giving. The NonProfit Business Council, a program of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, in partnership with Ocala Style, offers this Guide to Charitable Giving filled with information on 120 community nonprofits. This is just a snapshot of what our community offers, and each of these organizations has self-reported, voluntarily, to be a resource to you. We have

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by Allison B. Campbell APR, CPRC, Director of Strategic Communication, Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County

vetted the organizations included here with their IRS determination letters, tax identification numbers and more, and if you want to go a little deeper in your research, there are resources available to you to do so.

Consider visiting www.Guidestar.org to review the 990 tax forms required by all 501(c) (3) nonprofits without religious affiliations that are submitted to the Internal Revenue Service annually. The IRS also offers a charity list at apps.irs.gov/app/eos where you can verify that nonprofits have maintained their exemption status. Visit www.CharityNavigator.org to check in on any nonprofit you’re considering, and the Florida Department of

Agriculture also offers Check-a-Charity to see the information included in nonprofit annual reports submitted to the state each year.

Additionally, by contacting the Community Foundation, the knowledgeable staff can help navigate questions about local nonprofits in Marion County.

We encourage donors interested in giving to nonprofit causes to take a moment to consider the gift as well as the organization to which that donation goes. Are your dollars impacting local causes? Do you know your rights as a donor to ask questions about your gift or offer restrictions to it? Have you followed up to ensure previous gifts were used as you intended? Use this guide as a resource to help make your philanthropic gift giving decisions, and, if you ever have questions, we are here to help.

Spearheading the Search for the Cure Seed Funder in Development of Successful Treatments - Proton Therapy & Keytruda Cancer Drug Financial Supporter of Research at UF Health Center & Moffit Cancer Center Sponsor of Shop Talk, a Cancer Awareness Seminar hosted at College of Central Florida Host of Ocala's Celebrated Fundraiser Annual Event - The Tiara Ball

Join us in the fight to end this terrible disease with your support

34 YEARS OF SERVICE $3 MILLION TO CANCER RESEARCH

Sponsorship – Cash Donation – Planned Gift

100% Volunteer Non Profit Organization

DEDICATED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

For More Information, call (352) 622-7363 Or visit ocalaroyaldames.org

royaldamesnews@gmail.com

P.O. 6163, Ocala, FL 34478

Making the blind visible. Delivering hope to all affected.

Educating the community about vision loss.

The Florida Center for the Blind has served Marion County and beyond since 1989 with programs and services. Our mission is to provide support and resources, at no cost, to the visually impaired and their caregivers; empowering them to live safely, productively and independently.

Let's do more together. The Center is expanding to meet the needs of our clients in North Central Florida. Call to learn about our multi-million dollar expansion plans and how you can be a part of this exciting project.

Soaring to new heights!

1411 NE 22nd Avenue, Ocala, FL 34470 (352) 873-4700, flblind.org Schedule a tour to see for yourself the great things happening at FCB!

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Directory of Organizations 21st Century C.A.R.E 911 Cell Phone Bank AdventHealth Ocala Foundation Advocacy Resource Center, Marion Inc. All About You Angels Inc. Altrusa International Foundation of Ocala Inc. Ambleside School of Ocala American Heart Association Arnette House Inc. Believe in Santa Foundation Inc. Black Nurses Rock Ocala, FL Chapter Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County Brother’s Keeper Center for Independent Living of North Central FL Champions for Champions Inc. Children’s Home Society of Florida Christian 12 Step Ministry Inc. College of Central Florida Foundation Inc. Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County Covenant Children’s Home Creative Services Inc. Deliverance Outreach Ministries Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc. Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary (EARS) Episcopal Children’s Services Estella Byrd Whitman Wellness & Community Resource Center Faithfully Guided Foundation Fine Arts For Ocala (F.A.F.O.) Inc. FLIP FLOP Support Groups Inc. Florida Center for the Blind Inc. Florida Conference of SDA Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition Florida Thoroughbred Charities Inc. Forest Animal Rescue Friends of Dunnellon Christmas Parade Friends of the Dunnellon Public Library Friends of the Freedom Public Library Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses GFWC Greater Ocala Woman’s Club Grace Christian School Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. Habitat for Humanity of Marion County

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Hands of Mercy Everywhere Harvest International Inc. Have A Heart For Companion Animals Inc. Heart of Florida Health Center Heritage Oaks of Ocala/Goodwill Industries Suncoast Horse Farms Forever Horse Protection Association of Florida Hospice of Marion County and Its Affiliated Companies Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute Inc. H.U.G.S Charities of Ocala Humane Society of Marion County Inc. Ignite Community Counseling & Resource Center Interfaith Emergency Services Junior Achievement Kids Central Inc. Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection Kiwanis Club of Ocala Inc. Love INC of the Heart of Florida Magnolia Art Xchange Marion County Children’s Alliance Marion County Homeless Council Marion County Kidney Foundation Marion County Literacy Council Marion County Sheriff ’s Office Foundation Inc. Marion Cultural Alliance Inc. (Francis) Marion Military Academy Marion Senior Services Marion Therapeutic Riding Association Michelle-O-Gram Inc. My Life Counsel NAMI Marion County Inc. New Direction Reentry Center of Marion Inc. New Visions Ministries of Florida Inc. Ocala Blue Star Mothers Ocala Civic Theatre Ocala Film Foundation Ocala Housing Authority Ocala Lions Club-Ocala Lions Club Charities Foundation Ocala Main Street Ocala On Top of the World Lions Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research Inc. Ocala Symphony Orchestra Inc.

21 21 11 17 21 10 11 17 10 17 11 22 22 14 22 22 28 23 12 23 23 18 14 28 12 15 23 24 18 18 24 24 24 31 12 12 28 28 29 29 18 12

Here’s how the nonprofit organizations listed in this guide are impacting our community

By The Numbers

Graphic Design by Simon Mendoza

Open Arms Village Inc. Pace Center for Girls Patriot Service Dogs Pay It Forward Outreach Corp P.E.O. Sisterhood, Chapter EQ Perpetual Care Phoenix Programs of Florida Inc. Project Hope of Marion County Inc. Project L.I.F.T. Public Education Foundation of Marion County Public Policy Institute of Marion County Inc. QuitDoc Foundation R.A.M.A.L. Educational and Social Services Inc. Rainbow Springs Art Inc. Reilly Arts Center Saving Mercy Corporation Southeastern University - Ocala campus Special Olympics Florida Inc. Stirrups ‘n Strides Therapeutic Riding Center Inc. The Centers Inc. The Cornerstone School The Haitian-American Community Alliance (THACA) The Pearl Project The Salvation Army Ocala/Marion County Three Angels Clinic Inc. Transitions Life Center & Community Inc. Trinity Catholic High School United Way of Marion County Inc. Unity Family Community Center Inc. Veterans Helping Veterans USA Inc. Voices for Children of North Central Florida Inc. Voices of Change Animal League (VOCAL) Volunteers of America of Florida Wear Gloves Inc. Wild Horsemanship Center Xtreme SOULutions

Guide produced by

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Join Us Membership is open to all designated 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Ocala/Marion County.

Visit the new NonProfit Resource Center at 324 SE 24th St. Joining the NonProfit Business Council is easy. Visit www.ocalafoundation.org/non-profit-business-council to download the application and mail a check to us with the application.

@OcalaFoundation @OcalaFoundation company/ocalafoundation 2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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aGuide

toGiving

These charities fulfill their missions by tackling a wide range of issues in our community.

Environmental

Animals

Horse Farms Forever

EARS Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary

10805 SW 186th Cir., Dunnellon, FL 34432

P.O. Box 306, Citra, FL 32113

Sara Fennessy, Director of Community Affairs (859) 553-5510 › www.horsefarmsforever.com › Sara.fennessy@horsefarmsforever.com Horse Farms Forever’s mission is to preserve the character and culture that the horses, horse farms and horse industry create in Marion County.

PROGRAMS › Raising awareness and educating the public to the importance of the Farmland Preservation area and equine industry in Marion County to ensure development is well planned and thought out. IMPACT › Over the past 12 months, attended hundreds of hours of government meetings and public hearings.

Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute Inc. Robert Knight, Executive Director

23695 W US 27, High Springs, FL 32643

(386) 454-9369 › www.floridaspringsinstitute.org › bknight@floridaspringsinstitute.org The mission of the Florida Springs Institute (FSI) is to provide a focal point for improving the understanding of springs ecology and to foster the development of science-based education and management actions needed to restore and protect springs throughout Florida.

PROGRAMS › Scientific Monitoring: ongoing water quality data collection and analysis in springs and rivers across the state, distribute findings through the FSI website, at events, and at the North Florida Springs Environmental Center; Education: presentations to school children and adults on ecology, hydrogeology, geology, springs problems and solutions, and state and federal water law and to local government and state leaders on the issues affecting springs; Give Springs a Break course for college students and young professionals and Springs Field School for environmental professionals and the public; Aquatic Adventures: Florida Springs and Aquifer children’s activity book; North Florida Springs Environmental Center (NFSEC) in High Springs; Blue Water Audit: to estimate and visualize the impact of human activities on the aquifer and inform people about their water use and pollution impacts and provide recommendations for reducing these impacts to the springs and aquifer.

IMPACT › In 2018, FSI launched two new SpringsWatch groups; over 50 volunteers assisted with the SpringsWatch program; reached over 40 college students and young professionals through Give Springs A Break Program; graduated over 35 individuals in the Springs Field School.

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Gail Bowen, Executive Director

(352) 454-6454 › www.EARSinc.net › sportcopy@outlook.com

The EARS Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary mission is “preserving with dignity.”

PROGRAMS › Housing for unwanted and abused big cats; educational tours; outreach and internships for veterinarian students.

IMPACT › Ongoing healthcare with several veterinarians; weekly public and private tours; speaking to schools and groups all over Marion County.

Florida Thoroughbred Charities Inc. Lonny Powell, Executive Director 801 SW 60th Ave., Ocala, FL 34474

(352) 629-2160 › www.ftboa.com › info@ftboa.com

Florida Thoroughbred Charities, administered by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, has a mission to fund charitable organizations within the thoroughbred industry, the City of Ocala, Marion County and the State of Florida.

PROGRAMS › Florida Thoroughbred Retirement Program, Second Chances Farm, College Scholarships.

Forest Animal Rescue Lisa Stoner, VP & Treasurer

640 NE 170th Ct., Silver Springs, FL 34488

(352) 625-7377 › www.ForestAnimalRescue.org › info@forestanimalrescue.org

Forest Animal Rescue is a nonprofit wild animal sanctuary and educational facility dedicated to the lifetime care of non-releasable wild animals to prevent them from being destroyed.

PROGRAMS › Wild Animal Sanctuary: animals ranging from big cats and bears to wolves, primates, bats and more are rescued from situations of abuse, neglect or confiscation to prevent them from being destroyed. We provide them with high-quality, lifetime care in a non-breeding, fully licensed and accredited sanctuary setting. Educational Facility: We educate hundreds of volunteers and interns from around the world about the exploitation and mistreatment of wild animals; Rehabilitation of black bear cubs: We are uniquely qualified to assist and restore the bears to excellent health, so they may be released back into the wild. IMPACT › Maintained excellent standards of care for 100 rescued animals at our 80-acre sanctuary in the Ocala National Forest; completed construction of our Bob Barker Animal Care Building with state-of-theart veterinary clinic, education center, expanded food preparation areas and administrative offices.

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc.

Humane Society of Marion County Inc.

3251 NE 180th Ave., Williston, FL 32696

701 NW 14th Rd., Ocala, FL 34475

Carol Borden, Executive Director

(800) 398-6102 › www.medicalservicedogs.org › carol@MedicalServiceDogs.org

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc., was created for the charitable purpose of rescuing, raising, training and then donating medical service/assistance dogs to mentally and/or physically impaired individuals to provide assistance and independence and to improve the quality of life of both the recipient and the dog. In addition, it is our goal to promote education and pioneer research studies to further advancement of service dog training, raise public awareness regarding the laws pertaining to service dogs and lessen the dependency of the handicapped on government, communities, caregivers and families.

PROGRAMS › Raising and training medical service dogs which are then donated to their recipients at no cost, along with follow-up care, training and support for the life of the team; Florida’s first fully accredited, GI-bill approved service dog trainer training program; The Borden Method, where the student can gain college credit while learning to become a service dog trainer.

IMPACT › Ranked in the top 10 service dog training programs in the country, pairing nearly 300 dogs across 22 states. This past year, we reached 50 new service dog teams paired.

Have A Heart For Companion Animals Inc. Marilyn Marinelli, President

P.O. Box 831413, Ocala, FL 34483

(352) 687-4070 › www.haveaheart.us › info@haveaheart.us

Have A Heart for Companion Animals Inc. operates as an information referral resource for those who are looking for help with animal issues.

Emphasis is placed on animal welfare education through brochures, website articles and telephone counseling.

PROGRAMS › Animal caregiver education website; email and telephone counseling as time permits. IMPACT › Counseling, education, and literature distribution to over 113,000 visitors.

Horse Protection Association of Florida Morgan Silver, Executive Director

20690 NW 130th Ave., Micanopy, Florida 32667

(352) 466-4366 › www.hpaf.org › hpafhorseadoption@gmail.com

We provide equine rescue, rehabilitation, education and adoption services within the state of Florida. We also aid law enforcement and animal agencies with cruelty investigations and the care and placement of horses. We aim to promote and teach horse care and humane, natural methods of training for horses.

PROGRAMS › Rescue: We accept horses in urgent need of intervention from starvation, neglect and abandonment, assuming responsibility for those horses for the remainder of their life; Training and Adoption: We provide natural horsemanship training for the rescued horses so that they are easy to handle and provide training if suitable to become riding horses, match horses with adopters and provide a safe home to horses who are not adopted; Education: We assist horse owners with the information necessary to care for their horses properly and have an internship and volunteer program that teaches horse care and natural horsemanship handling and training techniques. IMPACT › In 2018, HPA took in 19 new horses that were found suffering. We adopted out 18 horses to new homes, continued to provide care for the 56 previously rescued horses at the farm and helped countless owners with their horses.

Eddie Leedy, Executive Director

(352) 873-7387 › www.thehsmc.org › ktanner@humanesocietyofmarioncounty.com

The Humane Society of Marion County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the care and protection of animals in Marion County, Florida.

Our mission is to prevent cruelty, suffering and over-population of animals and provide a no-kill shelter.

PROGRAMS › Humane Education: Magic Bark Bus visited 21,000 children; Doggone Good Reading: Children are invited to do one-on-one reading and humane education lessons in our adoptions center twice a month; Bow Wow Reading Room: In partnership with Oakcrest Elementary, we are working to improve reading scores of students who read to shelter animals twice a month. IMPACT › Placed 2,014 pets for adoption; made 21,000 Marion County Public Schools visits; gave back to the community through Happy Paws Animal Food Pantry.

Perpetual Care

Virginia Kilmer, CEO

P.O. Box 773548, Ocala, FL 34470

(888) 355-7091 › www.perpetualcare.org › kilmervirginia@gmail.com

We educate and assist pet owners regarding estate planning for their pets.

We rescue and rehome pets orphaned by the death or disability of their guardian, and we provide orphaned pets a home at our Pet Life Care Center.

PROGRAMS › Education and support for pet owners on estate planning for pets in the event of death or in the event they go into a nursing facility, provide free emergency alert cards and free pet trust documents; aid with setting up pet trusts to leave pets to someone else or to Perpetual Care; rescue, rehome and provide temporary homes for pets with no other option when their owner goes into a nursing facility or passes away.

IMPACT › Provided education and information regarding estate planning for pets and their options to over 500 people in 2018; sponsored Gibson, a dog left behind without anyone designated to care for him and gave him a home at the Perpetual Care Life Care Center; gave Fancy Pants, a 3-year-old Pekingese, a temporary home while her owner was in the hospital and rehabilitation and returned her to her owner after he recovered.

Voices of Change Animal League (VOCAL) Linda Norman, CEO

6393 SW 52nd St., Ocala, FL 34474

(352) 355-7091 › www.vocalforpets.org › info@vocalforpets.org Our mission is to solve the homeless pet problem through prevention, community outreach, adoption and collaboration.

PROGRAMS › Tammy Green Daniels Fix the Future Fund: subsidize the cost of spay-neuter surgeries for low-income pet owners and caregivers of cat colonies who otherwise would not be able to stop the cycle of overpopulation; Project Feed, operate a pet food warehouse for shelters and low-income pet owners in need; shelter homeless pets and adopt them out to loving homes.

IMPACT › Fix the Future Fund subsidized 680 surgeries last year; Project Feed distributed over 1 million pounds of food and supplies donated by Chewy.com to 45 local and regional shelters and rescues and more than 100 low-income families with pets in 2018; took in 400 homeless animals last year and adopted out 315.

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Art Fine Arts For Ocala Inc. (F.A.F.O.)

Ocala Civic Theatre

P.O. Box 6229, Ocala, FL 34478

4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL 34470

Sagi Asokan, Executive Director

(352) 867-0355 › www.fafo.org › fafoocala@gmail.com

Fine Arts for Ocala is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1972 with a simple mission: to promote the appreciation of the fine arts and to enhance art education within our community.

PROGRAMS › Symphony Under the Stars, established in 1988, provides a fun evening of music with Ocala Symphony Orchestra at Ocala Golf Club on Mother’s Day; the Ocala Arts Festival in October features outstanding artists, wonderful music, food trucks, beer, wine, artwork from Marion County students and hands-on art activities; Collector’s Circle is a group of art enthusiasts whose membership directly supports the arts and artists in our community while giving members access to special art-related events and perks throughout the year.

IMPACT › We give out $27,000 in awards to the artists during the Ocala Arts Festival. We give out $1,000 worth of awards to art students during our Artist Reception. We support local art organizations in our community, committing to give out $10,000 each year. We gave Magnolia Art Xchange $65,000 to help build the Art Incubator and renovate Ocala Union Station into studios.

Magnolia Art Xchange 531 NE 1st Ave., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 629-8414 › www.maxocala.org › president@maxocala.org

The Magnolia Art Xchange (MAX) will further develop the cultural campus within Ocala’s Central Business District by providing studios, instructional spaces and exhibition opportunities for visual artists in a collaborative hub that encourages professional development.

PROGRAMS › MAX offers studio and communal spaces for resident and affiliate member artists, teachers, professional advisors and students—all open for the community’s interaction; public workshops, classes and events to enrich the ever-present visual artists’ work and growth; art enthusiasts have the opportunity to personally connect with artists and their work and to support the artists through the purchase of their art. IMPACT › Completed six unfurnished work spaces ranging from 93 to 139 square feet, including wash down area and a storage and photography area for resident artists; completed the Open Studio Space for workshops and affiliate artists.

Marion Cultural Alliance Inc. Jaye Baillie, Executive Director

23 SW Broadway St., Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 369-1500 › www.mcaocala.org › jaye.baillie@mcaocala.com

Marion Cultural Alliance champions, convenes and creates opportunities for artists, art organizations and our community.

PROGRAMS › MCA Cultural Grants provide grants up to $5,000 to nonprofit arts organizations; Four Friends Fund provides small grants for artists for training, equipment or supplies; Brick City Center for the Arts offers 12 exhibits per year, providing opportunity for artists to show and sell their work; Hosts artists’ talks, training, and workshops.

IMPACT › Funded MCA Cultural Grants to 13 arts organizations; established the Four Friends Grant Fund, funding six artists to date; partnered with the City of Ocala for the 3rd Levitt AMP Music Concert Series.

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Katrina Ploof, Interim Executive Director (352) 236-2851 › www.ocalacivictheatre.com › interimed@ocalacivictheatre.com

Ocala Civic Theatre provides the finest in live theatrical productions and educational opportunities to the people of Ocala, Marion County and the surrounding area through the arts.

PROGRAMS › In School Literacy Program: provides, in conjunction with teachers and media specialists, a fun, educational, dramatic reading of two age-specific books for thousands of students; put on eight major live theatrical productions a year, with American Sign Language (ASL) services provided for designated performances of most shows.

IMPACT › Coordinated with veterans groups for special performances of Beyond Glory starring Stephen Lang; served as the resident home of Marion Ballet Theatre.

Ocala Film Foundation

Laurie Zink, Volunteer Executive Director 2008 SE 37th Ct. Circle, Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 817-4155 › www.ocalafilmfoundation.org › Lz@zgroup1.com

The Ocala Film Foundation (OFF) leads our community in creative and cultural discovery through the medium of motion pictures. Our efforts support the cultural and economic well-being of the region, in addition to providing student scholarships and classroom grants for digital media and technology.

PROGRAMS › Walk of Fame: OFF partnered with the City to fill 20 bronze sidewalk plaques in front of the Marion Theatre to honor local persons who have made significant contributions to the local film industry; special events that support our classroom grants and scholarship programs.

IMPACT › Hosted the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Films six times throughout the fall and spring, bringing filmmakers from around the country to Ocala to provide audiences and students with the opportunity to meet filmmakers and learn about the art of filmmaking; inducted award-winning Jordan Klein, Sr. to the Walk of Fame with a street party and special screening; awarded three $1,000 individual scholarships to three local MCPS seniors studying film production.

Ocala Symphony Orchestra Inc. Pamela Calero, Executive Director 500 NE 9th St., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 351-1606 › www.ocalasymphony.com › pamela@reillyartscenter.com

The mission of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra (OSO) is to create cultural experiences and opportunities for our community through music.

PROGRAMS › Ten subscription concerts throughout the season and five special event performances; OSO Symphony for Schools: professional OSO musicians perform at each public elementary school, give a music lesson and give students take-home information and a voucher to attend an OSO performance with a guardian; Chat with Matt: Prior to each subscription concert, our maestro, Matt Wardell, holds a 30-minute lecture to educate our audience on the pieces of music they will be hearing that evening and routinely brings in guests.

IMPACT › Nearly 100 Marion County residents participated in the first season of the OSO Symphony Chorus; we increased Open Rehearsals for middle and high school students and their families to enjoy free pizza and soda during dress rehearsal before a concert weekend; we established an Associate Board of community members between the ages of 25 and 45 that work on events and specialized outreach for a young demographic.

Photo Courtesy of Reilly Arts Center

Rainbow Springs Art Inc.

Reilly Arts Center

20804 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon, FL 34431

500 NE 9th St., Ocala, FL 34471

Lynda Ryan, President

(352) 445-8547 › www.rainbowspringsart.com › rsacoop2016@gmail.com

Rainbow Springs Art’s mission is to support local artists and educate all ages in the value of the art.

PROGRAMS › Annual Art Festival, held in the historic district of Dunnellon; travelogue presentations and artist demonstration receptions all raise money for art student scholarships.

IMPACT › The art show produced record traffic for downtown businesses; we worked with the Boys and Girls Club to create the community garden plots and helped them create the ceramic quilt that hangs outside our building.

Matthew Wardell, CEO

(352) 351-1606 › www.reillyartscenter.com › matt@reillyartscenter.com

The Reilly Arts Center exists to meaningfully impact our community through the arts.

PROGRAMS › The Reilly Arts Center’s 2019-2020 season features more nationally known performers as well as the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s 44th concert season and Dance Alive National Ballet’s season.

IMPACT › In our 2019 fiscal year, we had 191 events for over 78,703 guests; hosted several Grammy-winning artists; gave away approximately 150 tickets to veterans and 150 tickets to local nonprofit organizations.

Education Altrusa International Foundation of Ocala Inc.

College of Central Florida Foundation Inc.

P.O. Box 4228, Ocala, FL 34478

3001 SW College Rd., Ocala, FL 34474-4415

Colleen Duris, President

(352) 732-7020 › www.districtthree.altrusa.org/ocala › altrusaocala@gmail.com

Altrusa International Foundation of Ocala Inc. aims to improve our community by providing service, developing leadership, fostering understanding and encouraging fellowship through a network of volunteers.

PROGRAMS › Little Free Libraries; Tools 4 Teaching; provide funds for schools to implement new and innovative literacy programs; provide scholarships to high school and returning students; work with a local eye doctor to provide glasses to school age children in need.

IMPACT › In conjunction with the Early Learning Coalition and Success by 6, we completed our second Born Learning Trail at Liberty Park. We distributed over 1,000 books to children in Marion County. We participated with Tools 4 Teaching, keeping the Juanita Cunningham reading shelf well-stocked.

Ambleside School of Ocala Jill Romine, Principal

507 SE Broadway St., Ocala, FL 34470 Photo at right, courtesy of Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc.

(352) 694-1635 › www.amblesideocala.com › jromine@amblesideocala.com

It is the mission of the Ambleside administration and faculty to provide what Charlotte Mason called a “living education,” where each child is guided and empowered to author a full and free life, a life rich in relationship to God, self, others, ideas, and all of creation.

PROGRAMS › Private school for kindergarten through 10th grade; The Arrowsmith Program for learning difficulties.

IMPACT › Launched our high school and obtained our third accreditation through Middle States Association; hosted our 13th annual Father-Daughter Dance.

Christopher Knife, Executive Director

(352) 873-5808 › www.CF.edu/Foundation › knifec@cf.edu

The College of Central Florida Foundation’s mission is to identify, solicit and acquire restricted and unrestricted resources to support the college in providing educational services to Citrus, Levy and Marion Counties.

PROGRAMS › The “Scholarships Taking Elementary Students to CF” scholarship program selects graduating 5th graders to attend the College of Central Florida after high school graduation. The Endowed Chairs for Teaching Excellence funds innovative and exceptional programs that enhance the learning experience of our students. In our work to help make higher education accessible and affordable, the Foundation awards more than 1,600 scholarships to students from over 400 endowed and non-endowed scholarships annually.

IMPACT › In 2018, the CF Foundation had a $6.8 million impact on the college and community through its support of student programs and scholarships, college initiatives and the Appleton Museum of Art. More than $1.2 million in scholarships and other student support was given in 2018. Ninety-six percent of full-time faculty and staff donated to the Annual CF Family Campaign this past year.

Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc. Roseann Fricks, CEO

2300 SW 17th Rd. Ocala, Florida 34471

(352) 369-2315 › www.elc-marion.org › rfrick@elc-marion.org

The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County aims to provide leadership and foster partnerships to optimize a quality early learning environment for our children through child care, voluntary pre-kindergarten and parent education.

PROGRAMS › School readiness program; financial assistance for child care cost to eligible families, including before and after school and summer care and early education services to children newborn to 12 years old; Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK); Success By 6: a parent education initiative that focuses on early childhood education through parent trainings, technical assistance and parent resources.

IMPACT › Created community partnerships to acquire financial resources, educational materials and supplies for families in need of early learning services; increased early learning programs to serve more families and preschool age children; staff attended 45 community outreach events, reaching more than 26,000 individuals.

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Education Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Friends of the Freedom Public Library

351 S SR 434, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

5870 SW 95th St., Ocala, FL 34476

Phil Bond, Executive Director

(407) 644-5000 › www.floridaconference.com › phil.bond@floridaconference.com

The Florida Conference of SDA’s mission statement is, “Walking Together in Faith, Hope, and Love.”

PROGRAMS › Support educators to help children; supply excellent teachers and leaders and provide curricular frameworks and innovation for quality education; Florida Conference Pathfinder and Adventurer Department: helps families and young people experience life to the fullest through activities, level work, service opportunities and trips; Community Service Department: trains, equips and deploys leaders and members of the local church for service to all people, especially people in need.

IMPACT › The students of FL are developing 3-D printed hands to provide to children in Central Florida that suffer from congenital amputation; as a partner of E-Nable, we will 3-D print, assemble and distribute the assistive device to children of need in Central Florida.

Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition Ken Ford, Executive Director

15 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 387-3050 › www.ihmc.us › kford@ihmc.us

The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) pioneers technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities.

PROGRAMS › IHMC Evening Lecture Series: an award-winning, free community forum where individuals gather to hear talks on a number of topics including science, technology, health and medicine provided by leading experts; Science Saturdays: a complimentary, hands-on science program for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students led by an IHMC researcher or scientist/ professional; Summer Robotics Camps: LEGO robot challengers for middle schoolers, with field trips, lunch and financial assistance available.

IMPACT › Through partnership with the Public Education Foundation and private donors, provided more teacher training, robotics clubs, and new technology for middle schools; replaced the roof and skylight on our downtown building with private funding; broadcast more than 100 episodes of STEM-Talk podcast to nearly 2 million listeners; named finalist for the International Mobility Unlimited Challenge $1 million prize.

Friends of the Dunnellon Public Library Inc. Linda Hall, President

P.O. Box 1434, Dunnellon, FL 34430

(352) 438-2530 › www.marioncountyfl.org › Julie.sieg@marioncountyfl.org

The Friends of the Dunnellon Public Library aim to assist in the promotion and development of the public library facilities and services in the City of Dunnellon and in Marion County through publicity and marketing, fundraising and membership, and general advocacy.

PROGRAMS › Friends’ bookstore inside the Dunnellon branch of the Marion County library system.

IMPACT › Funded a children’s summer program and supplied new books and materials for the library.

Photo Courtesy of Friends of the Freedom Public Library

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› NonProfit Business Council

Florence Fay Pritchard, Ph.D., President

(352) 438-2550 › www.foflibrary.org › friends@foflibrary.org

The Friends of the Freedom Public Library aims to cooperate with and support the Freedom Public Library in the development and promotion of library services and resources and facilities for the community and to encourage and receive gifts, endowments and bequests to the library to provide supplemental financial assistance.

PROGRAMS › Book sales, funding all children’s programming, purchasing digital equipment and equipment for 2022 building expansion.

IMPACT › Bought an outside book drop for patrons; purchased a portable digital laptop classroom; gifted workspace renovations for librarians.

Grace Christian School

Dr. Bethany McKee Alexander, Head of School 4410 SE 3rd Ave., Ocala, FL 34480

(352) 387-3090 › www.gcsocala.com › bmckeealexander@gcsocala.com

Grace Christian School aims to prepare our children for life to honor and glorify God in a Christ-centered environment of academic excellence.

PROGRAMS › Fine arts program, science and technology.

IMPACT › Our middle school received a superior rating at the Music Performance Assessment for the county; added an Innovative Technology Lab/Google classroom where students work collaboratively through the use of cutting-edge technology and integrated teaching.

Junior Achievement

Jessica Blagdon, District Director

319 SE Broadway St., Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 727-0178 › www.JAmarion.org › jessica.blagdon@ja.org

Junior Achievement’s (JA) purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. With a JA High School Heroes Day, teens teach JA programs to a whole elementary school.

PROGRAMS › JA BizTown Experience: provides hands-on work readiness to 5th grade students, in partnership with local sponsors. Business volunteers make multiple visits to a class at a grade level of their choice, increasing skills and creating a connection with students and community.

IMPACT › 2,170 Marion County students reached in the 2018-2019 school year, with over 9,000 volunteer contact hours provided. 75 Belleview High AICE students taught economics material to more than 450 students at Belleview-Santos Elementary. JA Ethics and soft skills were shared with all 1,300 students at Liberty Middle School.

Marion County Literacy Council Summer Gill, Executive Director 120 SW 5th St., Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 690-7323 › www.marionliteracy.org › summer@marionliteracy.org

The Marion County Literacy Council enriches the quality of life for adults in Ocala/Marion County by helping them build and improve their literacy skills. Our programs and services enhance people’s personal and professional circumstances, create opportunities for them, one word at a time.

PROGRAMS › Adult Basic Education: helping adults learn to read and write, provide one-on-one tutors who work with students on goals like obtaining a driver’s license, registering to vote or filling out a job application; General Education Development: pair students with tutors to prepare for the General Equivalency Exam; English for Speakers of Other Languages: offer English classes to speakers of other languages from over 20 countries.

IMPACT › In 2018-2019: served over 600 students with over 20,000 hours of instruction from an all-volunteer tutor core; 100 percent of ESOL students increased by two grade levels; 70 percent of ABE students improved their literacy skills by two levels; 75 percent of our GED students completed at least one GED section test.

Photo Courtesy of Public Education Foundation of Marion County

(Francis) Marion Military Academy

Public Policy Institute of Marion County Inc.

5895 SE 83rd St., Ocala, FL 34472

The Enterprise Center, 3001 SW College Rd., Suite 202, Ocala, FL 34474

Tommy Adair, President

(352) 245-6600 › www.marionmilitaryacademy.org › tommy.adair@gmail.com

(Francis) Marion Military Academy aims to provide high school students an opportunity to secure the highest quality education in an environment that embraces core military values.

PROGRAMS › The Revised Academic Program features “Four in the Core,” mandating that every cadet take a core academic class in English, science, social studies and mathematics every year in high school.

IMPACT › Established a literacy canon of 32 novels students must read, discuss and write about throughout their four years of attendance; JROTC that has achieved Honor Unit w/Distinction status; improved our school’s state grade and achieved a passing grade for the first time in six years; JROTC achieved the highest performance score possible in its 2018 - 2019 JPA Evaluation; outperformed the district’s mean in algebra, English 1 and English 2 and improved in every academic area.

Pace Center for Girls

Carole Savage, Executive Director

328 NE 1st Ave., Suite 500, Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 369-0571 › www.pacecenter.org/locations/marion › carole.savage@pacecenter.org Pace Center for Girls provides all girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy.

PROGRAMS › Academic education: daily instruction by certified teachers and individualized education plans that align with the Marion County School District; Spirited Girls curriculum: helps girls make positive decisions and healthy lifestyle choices; individual and group counseling; ongoing case management for girls and their families to connect them with local resources and services and support them as they transition back to their base school, higher education or the workforce.

IMPACT › Ninety-two percent of girls enrolled in the Pace program improved academically; ninety-two of the girls were not involved with the criminal justice system within one year after completing the Pace program; eighty-four percent of girls were in school, higher education or employed after completing the Pace program

Public Education Foundation of Marion County Judi Zanetti, Executive Director 1239 NW 4th St., Ocala, FL 34475

(352) 671-4167 › www.pefmc.org › judith.zanetti@marion.k12.fl.us

The mission of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County is to financially and materially support Marion County Public Schools, its students and teachers.

PROGRAMS › Take Stock in Children: Marion County’s premier scholarship and mentoring program to help low-income students achieve their dreams of going to college; Tools 4 Teaching: provides free school supplies to students and teachers; Grants for Great Ideas: a competitive grant program to fund creative and innovative teaching strategies.

IMPACT › Take Stock in Children provided $360,00 in college tuition to 46 graduating seniors and served 318 middle, high school and college students; 176 volunteer mentors provided 3,476 mentoring sessions; Tools 4 Teaching provided $919,604 in free school supplies; the store had 7,079 teacher shopping visits; Grants for Great Ideas funded $124,000 in grants for teachers and school administrators, positively impacting 16,927 students.

Jerone Gamble, Board Chair

(352) 854-2322 ext. 1457 › www.ppiofmarioncounty.org › jagpray1@cfl.rr.com

The Public Policy Institute of Marion County Inc. aims to give the community a sense of hope and optimism by creating a broad base of community involvement in identifying, researching and establishing dialogue on community-wide issues, and then in recommending and helping to implement timely solutions.

PROGRAMS › Homelessness: The Long Way Home study with extensive community recommendations.

IMPACT › The community is actively engaged in the implementation of the recommendations from the study. These recommendations include those of a joint city/county partnership with common goals on addressing the plight of the homeless in Marion County.

R.A.M.A.L. Educational and Social Services Inc. Barbara Brooks, President

1636 SW 31st Ave., Ocala, FL 34474

(352) 875-4237 › www.ramalservices.org › barbarabrooksf@aol.com

R.A.M.A.L. Educational and Social Services Inc. aims to provide programs and services to improve people’s lives and the community in which they live.

PROGRAMS › Level Up Opportunity Program: exposes and engages 10th grade students in career exploration; the Summer Academic Programs help minimize summer academic slide; W.O.K.E. (Women Ocala Keep Everything) provides parent support, mentoring, life skills and money management.

IMPACT › Students enrolled in the R.A.M.A.L. Summer Academic Program at the Boys and Girls Club scored 80 percent on post-tests; 55 at-risk children received clothes, food, gifts from Santa and a party as “Chosen Children.”

Southeastern University Ocala Tyson Schroder, Lead Academic Director 4741 SW 20th St., Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 547-3406 › www.seuocala.com › tbschroder@seu.edu SEU Ocala is a Christ-centered institution of higher learning. We are committed to providing a Christian college education designed to equip the next generation to go into the world as influential servant leaders in their careers and their communities.

The Cornerstone School Ingrid Wasserfall, Head of School

2313 SE Lake Weir Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 351-8840 › www.thecornerstoneschool.org › ingrid@thecornerstoneschool.org In an ever-changing world, our mission is to prepare students for success with a comprehensive educational program, including an innovative curriculum, inspirational teaching that develops a passion for learning and the Cornerstone values of acceptance, integrity, and mutual respect.

PROGRAMS › Cambridge Assessment International Program to develop students’ skills and understanding; The Cornerstone STEM program for students to apply science, technology, engineering and math in real-world activities.

IMPACT › Our graduates are compassionate, socially aware individuals who can participate with empathy in a global context; are self-directed, intrinsically motivated lifelong learners; and are STEMcentric students who integrate, transfer and apply the use of technology effectively in the real world.

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Education Trinity Catholic High School

Wild Horsemanship Center

2600 SW 42nd St., Ocala, FL 34471

8750 NW 120th St., Reddick, FL 32686

Lou Pereira, President

(352) 622-9025 › www.trinitycatholichs.org › lpereira@tchs.us

Trinity Catholic High School, a Christ-centered community, provides students the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God, to excel academically and to commit to a life of service to others.

PROGRAMS › Academics: competitive, challenging college preparatory curriculum with Honors, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment courses; Athletics/Activities: 26 boys/girls/co-ed sports and just as many clubs/activities; Campus Ministry: Faith Formation program, daily prayer, weekly mass, Christian service and annual retreats.

IMPACT › Two 2019 graduates entered the United States Naval Academy and another signed to play baseball for the U.S. Air Force Academy; a student became the first Florida high school student in 70 years to earn his FAA Commercial Pilot license while still in high school.

Chris Cook, President/CEO

(352) 620-0477 › www.wildhorsemanshipcenter.com › wildhorsemanship@gmail.com We establish partnerships by amplifying connections through empathetic leadership utilizing the power of the horse.

PROGRAMS › Horse Helping Humans Workshops: educational workshops for companies and staff of the equine therapeutic industry to provide a safer experience to their clients.

IMPACT › Developed a curriculum to help grow and measure the level of empathy in foster kids through collaboration with Florida Youth Ranch and Unbridled Hope Therapeutic Horsemanship; voted best presentation two years in a row by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International Conference members; our Strategic Development Coaching raised $1.1 million for projects and companies both nationally and internationally in the first two quarters of 2019.

Health AdventHealth Ocala Foundation

American Heart Association

1500 SW 1st Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

1202 SW 17th St., #201-167, Ocala, FL 34471

Tracye Williams, Executive Director

(352) 690-5623 › adventhealthfoundationwestFL.com › tracye.berry-williams@adventhealth.com

Through generous donations and acts of gratitude, our AdventHealth Ocala Foundation funds new facilities, and life-saving equipment and technology to advance medicine, enhance patient experiences and provide world-class healthcare, close to home. With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, we strive to help more people feel whole and live their healthiest life possible.

All About You Angels Inc.

Lori Timmreck, Executive Director

4901 E Silver Springs Blvd., Suite 505, Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 236-2599 › www.aaywb.com › aaywbocala@gmail.com

The All About You Angels Family exists to support women through the journey of breast cancer and help them regain the feeling of being whole and natural once again.

PROGRAMS › Fundraisers including Bunco parties and the Angels Fashion Show that features breast cancer survivors as models; Angel Calendars sales.

IMPACT › After years of not having an evening oncology support group in Ocala, we started ours in May 2019; our Bunco parties and fashion show reached full capacity.

Photo Courtesy of All About You Angels Inc.

016

› NonProfit Business Council

Kristina Donohue, Executive Director

(727) 563-8083 › www.heart.org › kristina.donohue@heart.org

The American Heart Association aims to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

PROGRAMS › Help people identify warning signs for heart attack and stroke; provide resources to help reduce the risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke and embrace healthy behaviors; support scientific studies seeking new discoveries related to causes, prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke; provide education, training and community service including CPR training and health screenings.

IMPACT › Over 250 students at Trinity Catholic High School were trained in CPR; Trinity Catholic became the first school in Marion County to require CPR training to graduate; in the past year, 15,015 Marion County residents were trained in CPR; AHA is currently funding over 40 research rewards in Florida totaling over $6,987,942.

Black Nurses Rock Ocala, FL Chapter Drumeka Rollerson, CEO/Founder P.O. Box 5545, Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 208-9412 › www.bnrocalafl.com › bnrocalafl@gmail.com

Our mission is to assist driven, determined and dedicated nurses of Ocala to grow professionally while addressing healthcare disparities within the Ocala/Marion County area. We are committed to making a difference because our chapter members are empowered, engaged and ready to embrace the needs of the community.

PROGRAMS › Cardiovascular Health: bring awareness and teach warning signs to the community to help decrease disparities; HIV/ AIDS Initiative: partner with the Department of Health to educate on sexual health and HIV testing; Diabetes: screen and teach the community about diabetes and diabetes management. IMPACT › In three years, reached over 5,000 families, volunteered 3,000 hours, and donated $6,000 in nursing scholarships back into our community.

Heart of Florida Health Center Jamie Ulmer, Executive Director Photo Courtesy of Hospice of Marion County

21st Century C.A.R.E

Sharon Salenius, Executive Director

234 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907

(888) 850-1622 › www.21stcenturycare.org › Sharon.Salenius@21co.com

Community Cancer Education Inc. aims to provide cancer education to patients, physicians and the public; support cancer research; and provide financial assistance to cancer patients in need.

PROGRAMS › Financial assistance for cancer patients in need of groceries, medical supplies, transportation and temporary housing; free screenings for the public for skin, head and neck, colorectal and prostate cancers; the Fall Foliage Cancer Conference, a national conference to educate physicians and other healthcare providers with high-quality continuing medical education on the latest in cancer topics; community-based educational.

IMPACT › Screened 160 patients for skin cancer; attended several health fairs; hosted fundraising events including Chocolate Affaire and Game of Life and cookbook sales.

Estella Byrd Whitman Wellness Community Resource Center Carolyn Adams, CEO, ARNP

819 NW 7th St., Ocala, FL 34475

(352) 875-2226 › www.estellawellness.com › artcarol46@embarqmail.com

To meet the medical and dental needs of the citizens of Tucker Hill neighborhood, who are indigent, have little or no insurance, have Medicare or Medicaid or are able to pay on a sliding fee basis. The mission is to treat all citizens, regardless of their ability to pay.

PROGRAMS › Diabetes Education and Empowerment Program: classes to share and empower personal skills and awareness of blood sugar control and promote proper diet, weight control and exercise; Florida patient ACCESS program: provides clients with SNAP and Medicaid benefits and opportunities for acquiring financial support; dental and medical services courtesy of the Langley Health Mobile units.

IMPACT › Offered services to approximately 900 clients; created a partnership with Career Source and Kids Central and assisted in the annual backpack program; partnered with the Health Department to screen for HIV and Hepatitis C and offered vaccinations on site.

Faithfully Guided Foundation

Jamie Schofield & Ashlee Seek, Co-Executive Directors 40 SW 1st Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 512-0631 › www.fghealthcenter.com › jamie@faithfullyguided.com

The Faithfully Guided Foundation supports FGHC’s mission to promote optimal health and abundant life by extending MyLifestyleOcala to the greater Marion County community and beyond.

PROGRAMS › Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counseling; Collaborative Intake Assessment; Lifestyle Medicine/Social Health Groups.

IMPACT › Helped an elderly male stroke patient regain peripheral vision with hyperbaric therapy; provided a scholarship for a female patient who was able to lose 25 pounds, come off medications, and stabilize her blood pressure; sponsored girls’ growth groups for adolescents to learn healthy coping mechanisms, self-esteem and communication tools.

203 E. Silver Springs Blvd., #101 Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 877-7142 › www.myhfhc.org › jamie.ulmer@myhfhc.org

Our mission is to improve the overall health status of Marion County residents by providing quality primary medical, dental and mental health services to all residents, but in particular to those residents who would not otherwise be able to access the services due to financial limitation and/or lack of health insurance.

PROGRAMS › Primary medical services for adults and children; primary dental care for adults and children; resources for behavioral, mental health and substance abuse.

IMPACT › Saw 20,843 patients through 70,008 patient visits; added two low-/no-cost pharmacies.

Hospice of Marion County and its affiliated companies Rick Bourne, CEO

3231 SW 34th Ave., Ocala, FL 34474

(352) 873-7400 › www.hospiceofmarion.com › rbourne@hospiceofmarion.com

Hospice of Marion County and its affiliated companies aim to provide exceptional compassionate end-of-life care to our community.

PROGRAMS › Hospice Care includes quality medical, mental, emotional and spiritual care for those facing the final phases of life. We offer transition services for pre-hospice resource and case management for clients who are not yet eligible for hospice and may be pursuing curative treatment.

The Monarch Center for Hope and Healing provides bereavement and grief services both for hospice families and the community at large at no cost. Individual counseling is offered, as well as group for adults, teens and children.

IMPACT › Completed the Memorial Park and Veterans Circle of Honor; expanded palliative care to two physicians and 5.5 advanced nurse practitioners to provide consulting services with local physicians to treat pain and symptoms in patients at any stage in their disease; community outreach to inform residents about the availability of this national award-winning program.

H.U.G.S Charities of Ocala Renee Genther, Board President P.O. Box 34, Ocala, FL 34478

www.hugscharities.org › RGenther@flcancer.com

The H.U.G.S organization encourages Heartfelt Unconditional Giving to benefit cancer patients and the fight against cancer through the creation and support of its Community Cancer Alliance.

PROGRAMS › Cancer Alliance of Marion County is a collective cancer-care community that fosters communication and collaboration with organizations and individuals, serving cancer patients and their families in our community, participates in outreach efforts relating to cancer education, prevention, services, programs and resources and advocates for programs and policies that meet the needs of oncology professionals, patients and their families; H.U.Gs for Heroes: provides temporary relief while seeking long-term financial solutions for cancer patients and families .

IMPACT › The Colorectal Initiative provided free colonoscopy tests to at-risk Marion County residents; Take Stock in Children provided scholarships for Marion County students affected by cancer; the Oncology Nursing Initiative provided materials and study sessions to help local nurses earn oncology certification.

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Health Marion County Kidney Foundation

Phoenix Programs of Florida Inc.

2980 SE 3rd Ct., Ocala, FL 34471

15681 Hwy 301, Citra, FL 32113

Izu Nwakoby FASN, MD, Executive Director

(352) 671-5013 › www.ocalamarioncountykidneyfoundation.org › info@marioncountykidneyfoundation.org

Maria Alvarez, President/CEO

(813) 881-1000 › www.phoenixhouse.org › malvarez@phoenixfl.org

The mission of the Marion County Kidney Foundation is to help individuals affected by chronic kidney disease and to combat its spread. We do this through financial support to patients, as well as education for patients, their families and the community. Over 98 percent of the donations we receive go directly to patients in need. Donations enable us to provide assistance with food/groceries, transportation, prescriptions and more.

PROGRAMS › Financial support, including the MCKF Kidney Transplant Grant, which assists qualified Marion County residents with advanced kidney disease to qualify for a kidney transplant; community education on kidney disease and financial assistance.

IMPACT › Awarded four $5,000 Bridge to Transplant Scholarships.

Phoenix Programs of Florida is passionate about healing individuals, families and communities challenged by substance use disorders and related mental health conditions.

PROGRAMS › Medication Assisted Treatment: use medications along with counseling and behavioral therapies for a whole-patient approach; Adult Residential: 300-bed residential substance abuse treatment program on 22 acres in Citra; Outpatient Adolescent/Adult Program: customized and intensive outpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation for adults and teens with substance use disorders. IMPACT › Developed partnerships that allowed Phoenix House to manage additional beds for the next fiscal year, gained additional contracts and funding; sent outpatient adolescents to the Turn2 Foundation conference.

Michelle-O-Gram Inc.

QuitDoc Foundation

21765 SW 106th Lane Rd., Dunnellon, FL 34431

807 B SW 3rd Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

Sherry Roberts, President

(352) 469-6006 › www.michelleogram.com › sherryandterry@gmail.com

Michelle-O-Gram exists to provide breast diagnostic services for the uninsured and the underinsured women and men in our community.

PROGRAMS › Assist individuals with breast biopsies and pathology so they can seek treatment; refer women age 50-64 to the Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program for mammograms, physicals and PAP tests; refer patients with cancer to government assistance programs.

IMPACT › In the first six months of 2019, exceeded last year’s total expenses of $42,899 providing imaging services, pathology reporting and genetic testing to patients referred by Heart of Florida, Marion County Health Department and American Cancer Society.

My Life Counsel

Scott Inman, Executive Director 24 NE 14th Ave., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 362-3671 › www.mylifecounsel.com › contact@mylifecounsel.com

Our mission is to renew faith, hope and intentionality in individuals, marriages and families.

PROGRAMS › Individual, marriage and family counseling.

IMPACT › Served over 500 families through individual, marriage and family counseling.

Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research Inc.

Barry Hummel, CEO

(352) 598-8241 › www.quitdoc.com › BHummel@QuitDoc.com

Our mission is to improve overall community health and wellness by reducing the number of deaths in the United States from tobacco addiction and curtailing tobacco use within youth and adult populations through research, education and prevention.

PROGRAMS › We work with the Tobacco Free Partnership of Marion County and Students Working Against Tobacco.

IMPACT › Achieved guaranteeing tobacco-free environments, including events, housing and worksites.

The Centers Inc.

Donald J. Baracskay II, MD, MBA, MSCIS, Executive Director 5664 SW 60th Ave., Ocala, FL 34474

(352) 291-5555 › www.thecenters.us › dbaracskay@thecenters.us

The Centers Inc. aims to strengthen lives with compassionate healing.

PROGRAMS › Adult Crisis Stabilization; Addie Rawls Recovery Center; Child Welfare-Case Management; adult residential substance abuse treatment; a clubhouse for those living with mental illness; targeted case management for children and adults; medication management; individual/group counseling in outpatient, in-home and in-school settings.

IMPACT › In 2018, impacted the lives of approximately 15,400 people, including nearly 5,000 children.

Karen Zeedyk, President

Three Angels Clinic Inc.

(352) 622-7363 › www.ocalaroyaldames.org › ocalaroyaldames@gmail.com

4817 NE 2nd Loop, Bldg. B, Ocala, FL 34470

P.O. Box 6163, Ocala, FL 34478

Dr. Kevin Barrett, Executive Director and Trustee

The Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research aim to ensure a strong local/regional effort in the fight against cancer, through funding research and education.

PROGRAMS › Donated two $15,000 cancer research grants to the University of Florida; donated three $50,000 cancer research grants to Moffitt Cancer Research Center; donated $44,000 to the College of Central Florida ShopTalk education programs.

IMPACT › Provided nursing scholarships and contributions to the Medical Library; all $3,321,000 raised since our inception has gone to cancer research, education programs and nursing scholarships.

(352) 509-6350 › www.threeangelsclinic.org › patientcare@threeangelsclinic.org

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The mission of Three Angels Clinic is to provide primary care services to the eligible uninsured residents and working poor in Ocala and Marion County.

PROGRAMS › Primary care with licensed medical volunteers; spiritual care with volunteer chaplains; limited social support with medical social worker.

IMPACT › Helped patients seek help away from emergency rooms and local hospitals; referred patients to local food pantries for groceries; helped patients manage some chronic illnesses.

Human Services Advocacy Resource Center (ARC Marion Inc. )

Center for Independent Living of North Central FL

2800 SE Maricamp Rd., Ocala, FL 34471

3445 NE 24th St., Ocala, FL 34470

Frank Sofia, CEO

(352) 387-2210 › www.mcarc.com › fsofia@mcarc.com

Our mission and vision is to create opportunities for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, work and play to the fullest of their capabilities in Marion County, as well as to foster Marion County as a model community to embrace persons with disabilities and to help them support their dreams.

PROGRAMS › Life Skills Development/Adult Day Training (ADT): a meaningful day program, including employment through contracted work with manufacturers in the community, training in the activities of daily living, adaptive skills and social skills; Residential Habilitation/Group Homes: provide supervision and specific training activities that assist the recipient to acquire, maintain or improve skills related to activities of daily living; Community Services/Supported Employment-Supported Living services: an integrated community work setting where waiver recipients and persons without disabilities are employed to perform the same or similar work tasks.

IMPACT › Satisfaction surveys continue to confirm our staff is the best and our clients are receiving great support; third party Qlarant audits and Agency for Persons with Disabilities inspections rate us high in all areas.

Arnette House Inc.

Tony Delisle, Executive Director

(352) 368-3788 › www.cilncf.org › tdelisle@cilncf.org

The Center for Independent Living aims to empower people with disabilities to exert our individual right to live as independently as possible, make personal life choices and achieve full community inclusion.

PROGRAMS › Transportation: contract with area public transportation systems to provide support services for riders with disabilities wanting to utilize fixed route and paratransit services as defined under The Americans with Disabilities Act and provide screening, eligibility determination and travel training services; High School High Tech: provide high school students with disabilities the opportunity to explore jobs or postsecondary education leading to technology-related careers; Vocational Assistance: through our partnership with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, offer evaluations, pre-placement training, competitive employment services, supported employment and on-thejob training; youth pre-employment transition services, job experiences, advocacy, summer programs, social events and peer mentoring.

IMPACT › Our wheelchair ramp program improved access for low-income residents who use wheelchairs; our HSHT students increased confidence and self-esteem, learned to advocate for themselves, improved socialization, employability skills, graduated high school and went on to college and gainful employment; we helped house eight homeless families with disabilities by providing HUD mainstream housing vouchers.

Cheri Pettitt, Executive Director

Champions for Champions Inc.

(352) 622-6135 › www.arnettehouse.org › cpettitt@arnettehouse.org

240 SE 17th St., Suite C, Ocala, FL 34471

Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County

The purpose of Champion for Champions is to enrich the lives of families by facilitating and providing recreational, educational, social and life skills activities.

PROGRAMS › Toastmasters Champion Gavel Club: an all-inclusive program but mainly open to individuals with special needs, their families and caregivers and volunteers; Music Monday: individuals learn the art of music, and we’re forming a choir to perform at nursing homes; Dance Friday: open dance and lessons offered every Friday at One Health Center for ages 2 and up.

IMPACT › In only three years, we have provided activities six days a week, enhancing physical and mental abilities; we have more than 12 certified competent speakers for the Gavel Club.

800 SW 12th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

Children’s Home Society of Florida

2310 NE 24th St., Ocala, FL 34470

Maria Roman, CEO

Arnette House Inc.’s mission is to provide safe and effective programs to strengthen youth and families.

PROGRAMS › Emergency Youth Shelter: a 24/7 emergency shelter for children ages 10 to 17 who are runaways, locked out, homeless, truant or experiencing parent/child conflict; two foster care homes for hard-toplace teens; non-residential counseling for children 6 to 17.

IMPACT › In 2018, Arnette House housed 450 children in our Emergency Youth Shelter; provided in-school counseling to 640 elementary and middle school children, which decreased behavioral referrals, improved school attendance and increased grades; counseled 162 youth at risk of being runaways or homeless; gave 12 foster kids a place to live and thrive in group homes.

(352) 585-9158 › www.championsforchampions.org › admin2017@championsforchampions.org

April Savarese, CEO

(352) 690-7440 › www.bgcofmarion.com › asavarese@bgcofmarion.com The Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County aims to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as responsible, productive, caring citizens.

PROGRAMS › Provide members with the tools and resources to maintain or improve their academic standing, make healthier choices for their mind, body and soul and make thoughtful decisions and serve the community they live in.

IMPACT › Helped 30 elementary school students increase their summer reading and math scores; sent two of our members to the Young Leaders Conference; hosted both health education workshops and a free dental clinic.

Andry Sweet, CEO

482 S Keller Rd., Orlando, FL 32810

(321) 397-3000 › www.chsfl.org › andry.sweet@chsfl.org

Children’s Home Society of Florida focuses on building bridges for success for children.

PROGRAMS › Counseling in homes, school and virtually via telehealth to support and guide new parents and parents-to-be and support the entire family as the parents achieve self-sufficiency.

IMPACT › With grant funds received from Anthem Foundation, launched a campaign announcing telecounseling services, seen an increase in individuals seeking counseling. One year after completing Healthy Families, at least 99 percent of children remained safe and free of abuse or neglect.

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Human Services Christian 12 Step Ministry Inc.

Deliverance Outreach Ministries

415 NW 1st Ave., Ocala, FL 34478

821 NE 36th Terr., Ocala, FL 34470

Renee Arnett, Director

(352) 732-0877 › www.christian12step.org › Renee@christian12step.org

We exist to give hope in Christ, show love through support and encourage change through Bible-based recovery from substance abuse, emotional strongholds and codependency.

PROGRAMS › Jail/prison ministry: Walking the 12 Steps with Jesus Christ is a voluntary, no-cost correspondence program that maintains 2,000 participants annually at 900 correctional facilities worldwide; recovery coaching; small groups studies at churches, transitional programs, correctional facilities or anywhere there is a need; facilitator training to individuals willing to lead community small groups.

IMPACT › In the last 12 months, 380 individuals have completed our student correspondence and/or facilitator training courses; we significantly increased our collaboration efforts with other local service providers, working as a resource with both medical and correctional services.

Covenant Children’s Home

Deborah Davis, Director of Operations

11350 N. Covenant Path, Suite 100, Dunnellon, FL 34434

(352) 489-2565 › www.covenantchildrenshome.org › deborah@covenantchildrenshome.org

Covenant Children’s Home (CCH) exists to provide a structured and loving Christian environment to nurture children and adolescents into being all God intends them to be. CCH is committed to be a model of excellence in the community-at-large that brings honor and glory to God. PROGRAMS › We provide education and work with each child to help them succeed. We also focus on mental health and provide each child with counseling and/or mental health services. We aim to provide a safe, stable home environment that allows a child to heal from past trauma.

IMPACT › All of our children were promoted to the next grade level, and almost half of the children were on the A/B honor roll. Working with counselors and therapists, many of the children have begun the healing process from past trauma.

Creative Services Inc.

Tyrone Oliver, CEO

(352) 261-0404 › www.domofocala.org › tyroneoliver50@gmail.com

Our mission is to help people with their needs and conduct humanitarian outreach.

PROGRAMS › Provide medical care, including counseling, medication and coping skills for the non-insured and homeless citizens of Marion County.

We provide counseling and medication, as well as teaching coping skills.

We also provide computers to assist the public applying for assistance.

IMPACT › Served 2,500 people for medical care, mental health services and distribution of clothing; provided diabetes classes for 80 to 100 people; provided dental clinic with Freedom Clinic to serve the citizens of Marion County.

Episcopal Children’s Services Connie Stophel, Executive Director

8443 Baymeadows Rd., Suite 1, Jacksonville, FL 32256

(904) 726-1500 › www.ecs4kids.org › cstophel@ecs4kids.org

The mission of Episcopal Children’s Services is creating opportunities for the children we serve to reach their full potential.

PROGRAMS › Head Start/Early Head Start provides comprehensive education, health and nutrition, and family support services to almost 2,400 of our most vulnerable infants, toddlers and preschoolers and their families in 12 counties in North and Central Florida. Early Learning Services provides over 9,000 low-income families with needed financial assistance so that their children can learn in quality care. This program is operated in partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of North Florida in six counties in Florida.

IMPACT › Early Education: Over the school year, our 4-year old students made tremendous gains in social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy and mathematics domains. Preschoolers and toddlers received two meals and one snack daily and infants were fed on demand, with 100 percent of students nourished with foods that met or exceeded state and USDA standards.

Florida Center for the Blind Inc. Anissa Pieriboni, President/CEO

Dr. Judy Wilson, Executive Director

1411 NE 22nd Ave., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 351-4009 › www.ocaladvshelter.org › csi.inc@ocalacsi.com

The mission of the Florida Center for the Blind (FCB) is to provide services at no cost to individuals who are visually impaired, empowering them to live safely, productively and independently.

PROGRAMS › Youth programs, including early intervention and school preparation for ages 0-5, adaptation and integration for children ages 6-13 to learn braille, safe travel skills, assistive technology, skills for independence, resources and support for living; Vocational Rehabilitation for ages 14 and up provides intensive training including assistive technology, self-advocacy, independent living skills and advanced training skills; Independent Living, which includes home and financial management, safety and travel skills and assistive technology for individuals 22 and older who want to remain independent in their homes.

IMPACT › All three of our graduating high school seniors in 2018 are now enrolled in college; FCB was selected to provide post-surgery assessment services to evaluate the effectiveness of the new Argus retinal implants; FCB continues to provide assistance with graduate/post-graduate research through the University of Florida regarding the use of driverless vehicles by individuals who are visually-impaired.

P.O. Box 2193, Ocala, FL 34478

Creative Services aids, comforts and empowers victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. We have a domestic violence emergency shelter for victims who are escaping violence from an intimate partner. This includes women, children and men.

PROGRAMS › Outreach counseling and appointments for domestic violence victims who are trying to escape violence in the home; full-service Rape Crisis Center with counseling, advocacy and forensic exams.

IMPACT › Seventy-three percent of the women and children in shelter do not return to the abuser; a majority of the victims in shelter find safe affordable housing; 2,681 victims called the 24-hour hotline in 2017, and none of these victims were murdered or committed suicide.

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(352) 873-4700 › www.flblind.org › apieriboni@flblind.org

Photo Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Marion County

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses

Harvest International Inc.

2775 NW 49th Ave., Suite 205, Ocala, FL 34482

3711 NE 42nd Ln., Ocala, FL 34471

Jorge Garcia-Bengochea, Executive Director

(352) 226-9009 › www.gentlecarouseltherapyhorses.com › gentlecarousel@gmail.com Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses ease human suffering during times of natural emergencies, violence, traumatic events, medical challenges and loss with the assistance of highly trained horses, volunteers and the generosity of donors.

PROGRAMS › Reading Is Magic: the horses inspire young and at-risk readers by bringing books to life at schools, libraries and education resource centers; “You Have Been Spotted” Achievement Program: students who have been spotted achieving their behavior or academic goals, being kind to others or standing up for a fellow student receive a classroom visit and award from spotted Appaloosa horses.

Habitat for Humanity of Marion County

Danny Thomas, Executive Director

(352) 622-1818 › www.harvestinternational.org › danny@harvestinternational.org

Harvest International is a Christian ministry organization acting as facilitator in assisting Christians who are called by God to meet the physical needs of poor people around the world and empowering them as they earn the right to minister to their spiritual needs.

PROGRAMS › Buckets of Love: essential supplies for disaster victims in the U.S. and the Caribbean; support 15 missionaries serving in 11 countries; provide food for our feeding programs in Haiti.

IMPACT › Sent over 1,000 Buckets of Love in support of hurricane relief to South Florida, the Florida Panhandle, Puerto Rico, Antigua and Dominica; partnered with a local ministry to expand our service to the homeless in Marion County; sent over 1.5 million meals to Haiti.

Dave Layman, Executive Director

Heritage Oaks of Ocala/Goodwill Industries Suncoast

(352) 351-4663 › www.habitatocala.org › dlayman@habitatocala.org

2820 SW 34th St., Ocala, FL 34474

1321 SE 25th Loop, Suite 103 Ocala, FL 34471

Deborah Passerini, Executive Director

The Habitat for Humanity of Marion County mission statement is “Putting God’s love into action in Marion County by strengthening communities, building hope and providing dignified housing solutions through partnership and empowerment.”

PROGRAMS › Mortgage Lender: we provide affordable mortgages to family partners who have invested 500+ equity hours; Residential Builder: with the assistance of volunteers and limited paid staff, we construct new residential homes and rehabilitation of existing structures; Retail: two ReStores sell donated items to support paid employees and subsidize new construction.

IMPACT › Generated enough revenue to construct one house through the Habitat Ocala Strawberry Festival; reached $1,000,000 in sales through ReStores; accepted 16 families into our Habitat Home Ownership Program.

(352) 854-1515 › www.goodwill-suncoast.org/heritage-oaks-of-ocala/ › Debbie.Passerini@Goodwill-Suncoast.com

Hands of Mercy Everywhere Diane Schofield, Founder/CEO

6017 SE Robinson Rd., Belleview, FL 34420

(352) 224-9815 › www.handsofmercyeverywhere.org › diane@handsofmercyeverywhere.org Hands of Mercy Everywhere aims to provide a Christian-based residential group home for teenage girls and pregnant or parenting teens in the foster care system.

PROGRAMS › Independent Living and Life Skills program: includes credit management, job and career training, housing and transportation assistance, internet safety, financial literacy and personal hygiene/health nutrition. Maternity and Parenting program: teaches young women essentials specific to prenatal care, birth care, post-partum care and infant care and includes follow-up mental health support through onsite parenting classes and evidence-based parenting programs.

IMPACT › Two residents are attending the College of Central Florida and three are working jobs; four participants completed their GEDs; there were two reunifications; two teens left licensed care to go into a family home setting; outdoor enhancements were made, including a playground and safety fence and updates in the two houses. The Belleview Historical Society gifted ownership of its Community Center to H.O.M.E. to allow for an onsite Vocational Hospitality Program and grant money has been approved to begin renovations. We received a donation of a much needed passenger van for transportation.

The mission of Goodwill-Suncoast is to help people achieve their full potential through the dignity and power of work. This mission is accomplished through employment services, training programs and affordable housing.

The sale of donated and new goods at Goodwill stores enables the agency to offer a variety of employment and training services, promote self-sufficiency and contribute to community conservation through recycling.

PROGRAMS › Heritage Oaks Apartments Ocala is a community for low-income seniors; Life Skills Development is a training program that enables people with developmental disabilities to obtain job skills and receive job placement and job coaching; temporary staffing agency; early childhood literacy program for children from low-income families.

There is one Goodwill retail store and one outlet store in Ocala.

IMPACT › Continued our commitment to being the housing provider of choice for low-income seniors in the Ocala area; continued success with serving adults with disabilities and empowering them to be part of a successful career path; continued success with serving low-income children in the community.

Courtesy of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses

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Human Services Ignite Community Counseling Resource Center

Kids Central Inc.

3561 S Pine Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

901 Industrial Dr., Suite 200, Wildwood, FL 34785

Joshua Sarmiento, President/CEO

www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ignite-community-counseling-resource-center-ocala-fl/327852 › (352) 436-6012 › jsarmiento@igniteccrc.com Ignite Community Counseling Resource Center’s mission statement is “Igniting Lives, Empowering Lives.”

PROGRAMS › Mental health therapy/counseling to help individuals overcome the stigma of mental health and help clients face and overcome real-life situations and problems; Youth Mentoring to foster positive relationships with teens and adolescents. IMPACT › Provided more services to more low-income individuals; acquired our own building and property to enhance our delivery of services; became credentialed with commercial insurances and employee assistance programs; partnered with faithbased communities to provide spiritual enrichment services.

Interfaith Emergency Services Karla Grimsley, Chief Executive Officer 435 NW 2nd St., Ocala, Florida 34475

(352) 629-8868 › www.iesmarion.org › karla@iesmarion.org

Interfaith is a community of faith called by God to offer emergency assistance without judgment to all persons in Marion County.

PROGRAMS › Food Distribution: to as many as 14,000 low-income or at-crisis through six pantries located across the county; Sheltering Program: safe shelter for women, children and families experiencing homelessness with a goal of successful transition to permanent housing; Food 4 Kids: six weekend meals plus snacks through a backpack program in partnership with 38 public schools to ensure that as many as 1,800 children at risk of hunger have adequate food over the weekends.

IMPACT › Sixty-five percent of shelter residents transitioned out successfully to appropriate housing, ending homelessness for 94 individuals; 141 diabetic patients and 336 mentally ill patients were stabilized by having access to their necessary prescribed medications, resulting in less ER visits and/or hospital stays and a better quality of life; 29,213 individuals didn’t experience hunger because they had access to food through the Interfaith pantries.

Guests at Kid’s Central Inc. Casino Royale

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John Cooper, Executive Director

(352) 873-6332 › www.kidscentralinc.org › john.cooper@kidscentralinc.org

Kids Central’s mission statement is, “Protecting Children, Supporting Families, Engaging Communities.”

PROGRAMS › Protecting Children: child abuse prevention programming, diversion services and case management coordination; Independent Living: to help young adults exiting foster care transition to adulthood; Supporting Families: through case management coordination and diversion support services, work to keep families together and strive to bring them back together; Kinship Care Support: for relatives raising children; Foster homes: recruit, train, and license foster homes; Adoption services are provided to find permanent living arrangements for children after judicial involvement; Engaging Communities: we assess gaps in available services, evaluate the needs of the community and harness its strengths.

IMPACT › Served over 18,000 children in prevention services; recruited 200+ new foster homes; raised over $40,000 to help support our children in care.

Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection Dawn Westgate, Executive Director 2800 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 873-4739 › www.kimberlyscenter.org › info@KimberlysCenter.org

Kimberly’s Center responds to, protects and restores children so they can get the help, hope and healing they need.

PROGRAMS › Trauma therapy program to help children heal after their trauma of child abuse; advocacy program providing advocacy, crisis support and case management services to child victims of abuse and neglect and their non-offending families and caretakers; trauma intervention program that provides 24/7 comfort and support during the shelter process; Child Protection Team provides expertise in evaluating alleged maltreatments of child abuse and neglect, assessing risk factors and providing recommendations for interventions, completing medical examinations, forensic interviews and specialized interviews to assist in law enforcement and/or DCF investigation.

IMPACT › Served 1,269 children in 2018; offered 2,180 individual, group and family therapy sessions; conducted 713 forensic and specialized interviews; provided 397 medical exams and consultations; created a new intervention program in partnership with the Hospital District for children being removed from their homes, working directly with DCF to assist in caring for these children upon waiting for placement; implemented a co-located child abuse investigations delivery model in May 2019, which features DCF investigators and Marion County Sheriff ’s Office Special Victims Unit major crimes detective housed at Kimberly’s Center.

Courtesy of Marion County Children’s Alliance

Love INC of the Heart of Florida

Marion County Homeless Council

15797 S Hwy 441, Summerfield, FL 34491

108 N Magnolia Ave., Suite 202, Ocala, FL 34475

Dana Parker, Executive Director

(352) 245-8774 › www. loveincheartofflorida.org › Dparker@loveincheartofflorida.org

Our mission is to mobilize local churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ.

PROGRAMS › Clearinghouse: a volunteer-run call center providing information and referral to those in need; Gap Ministries: identifying and establishing 17 new ministries based on gaps in our local social service offerings; Centsible Furnishings: an upscale resale shop offering home furnishings and boutique clothing at reasonable prices .

IMPACT › Gap Ministry: Established The Rock in Belleview and Lake Weir middle schools and Belleview High School through collaboration with Feed the Need, encouraging 3,600 students and connecting eight churches to local schools for mentoring, skill building and encouragement.

Angela Juaristic, Executive Director

(352) 732-1369 › www.mchcfl.org › angela@mchcfl.org

Marion County Homeless Council looks to eliminate homelessness in Marion County by providing housing assistance.

PROGRAMS › Permanent supportive housing for disabled homeless individuals and families with case management and financial support to build housing stability; rapid rehousing to move the most vulnerable homeless into housing; prevention programs to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless with funds to assist with rent or utilities.

IMPACT › Housed a young mother and three children who had been living in a car, which allowed her to regain employment and stable housing; helped 85-90 percent of participants remain stably housed.

Marion County Children’s Alliance

Marion Senior Services

3482 NW 10th St., Ocala, FL 34475

1101 SW 20th Ct., Ocala, FL 34471

Beth McCall, Executive Director

(352) 438-5990 › www.mcchildrensalliance.org › executivedirector@mcchildrensalliance.org

The Marion County Children’s Alliance aims to improve the lives of Marion County children.

PROGRAMS › The Community Council Against Substance Abuse aims to reduce the impact of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other drugs on our youth; Family Violence Prevention aims to end family violence in Marion County by coordinating community resources and services to assist families in crisis; Building Better Dads aims to identify and address the needs of fathers while facilitating their involvement in the lives of their children.

IMPACT › Provided emergency services to 144 families affected by family violence; hosted 12 SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Clubs that boast 500 youth members in Marion County; provided backpacks, child IDs, dental cleanings and physicals to students at the annual Back to School Bash.

Jennifer Martinez, Executive Director (352) 620-3501 › www.marionseniorservices.org › JMartinez@marionseniorservices.org Marion Senior Services’ mission is to support the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged residents of Marion County and their families with dignity, respect and compassion to maintain independent living status.

PROGRAMS › Nutrition: in home support through Meals on Wheels or seven congregate dining sites. In-Home Support: services assist eligible, functionally impaired elderly persons age 60 or over living independently. Marion Transit: provides public transportation to all disadvantaged persons in Marion County, FL.IMPACT › Led initiative to ensure the City of Ocala and Marion County are designated as age-friendly through AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities; expanded nutrition program to provide nutritious USDA-donated foods to eligible participants to supplement a healthy diet and stretch food dollars; served an additional 330 at-risk seniors through partnership with Bread of the Mighty Food Bank; purchased software to boost transit efficiency, improve security and reduce wait times.

Courtesy of Marion Senior Services

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Human Services Marion Therapeutic Riding Association

New Visions Ministries of Florida Inc.

6850 SE 41st Ct., Ocala, FL 34480

6160 SW Hwy 200, Suite 110, Ocala, FL 34476

Pamela Morrison, Executive Director

(352) 732-7300 › www.mtraocala.org › execdirector@mtraocala.org The Marion Therapeutic Riding Association provides the miraculous benefits of therapeutic horseback riding to individuals with physical, mental and emotional challenges.

PROGRAMS › Freedom Reins: therapeutic riding for veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, physical and emotional challenges; Equine Experience: therapeutic riding for foster children, at-risk youth and the SoZo Kids program.

IMPACT › Our programs have helped veterans get back to their lives with hope and have brought hope to children who have none. Our therapeutic riders find success physically, mentally and emotionally.

NAMI Marion County Inc.

John Podkomorski, Executive Director 2713 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 368-2405 › www.namiocala.org › executivedirector@namiocala.org The mission of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Marion County is to provide education, advocacy and support for people affected by mental illness.

PROGRAMS › Peer-to-Peer Education: a free, eight-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery; Family-to-Family Education Program: a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition; Connection Recovery Support Group: a free, peer-led support group for any adult who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition; Ora’s Clubhouse: helps people with mental illness learn life skills and find successful employment.

IMPACT › NAMI has been instrumental in affecting legislation in local, state and national governments through its advocacy program; NAMI support groups, when used in conjunction with therapy and medication, have been instrumental in helping peers remain in recovery and help families know how to best help their loved ones; NAMI education programs have helped hundreds of participants learn coping methods to maintain a healthy and productive lifestyle.

New Direction Reentry Center of Marion Inc. Laresa Scott, CEO/Founder

5100 W Hwy 40, Suite 1100, Ocala, FL 34482

(352) 509-7344 › ndirection2018@gmail.com

We are dedicated to providing tangible services to at-risk individuals and families, including convicted felons, that will help them achieve sustainability and become productive citizens.

PROGRAMS › Employment readiness; life skills: conflict resolution, anger management and interpersonal skills; Leading by Design leadership development.

IMPACT › Secured a location and electronics needed for the program; established an advisory board with many years of community experience; received 501(c)(3) status.

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Shonda Swain-Peaks, CEO/Founder

(786) 361-8235 › www.newvisionministriesoffl.org › preciousswain@gmail.com

Our mission is to share the things that I have learned through life experience and continued education with trust, thoughtfulness and care.

PROGRAMS › Conference calls for victims of domestic violence to anonymously share their concerns and stories; Princess Building: group discussions for young women ages 11 to 17 to share empowering information and resources; Fresh Not Frozen: teaches women basic cooking.

IMPACT › Participated in an outreach event in Berkley Point and donated 25 free hours of life coaching including budgeting, coupon basics and how to start a business on a low budget; partnered with Saddle Oak Club to increase awareness and collect household good and hygiene products; hosted Beauty Behind Bars Ocala for 80 women, a free event to empower women to allow themselves to be free from the prison of their mind.

Open Arms Village Inc.

Pamela McBride, Executive Director 1839 NE 8th Rd., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 304-6229 › www.openarmsvillageocala.org › oav.director@yahoo.com

The mission of Open Arms Village is to combat homelessness through transitional housing and supportive services to homeless men to equip them to become independent, productive members of the community.

PROGRAMS › Financial accountability classes; Substance Abuse Support Program. IMPACT › Four residents enrolled in college or training programs; six men earned their first driver’s license; 74 percent of residents graduated with employment, money in the bank and safe housing.

Project Hope of Marion County Inc. April McDonald, Executive Director P.O. Box 5548 Ocala, FL 34478

(352) 624-4673 › www.projecthopeocala.org › april@projecthopeocala.org

Project Hope of Marion County Inc.’s mission is, “Responding to Christ’s Call, shepherding homeless families to self-sufficiency.”

PROGRAMS › Supportive, transitional and affordable housing with onsite case management services and links to community providers.

IMPACT › Expanded additional units for housing program; provided 18 families with secure and stable housing for up to one year.

Guests at Wine and Tapas, Downtown Ocala benefiting Open Arms Village

Photo Courtesy of Stirrups ‘n Strides Therapeutic Riding Center Inc.

Project L.I.F.T.

Stirrups ‘n Strides Therapeutic Riding Center Inc.

20540 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon, FL 34432

4246 W Hwy 318, Citra, FL 32113

Robert Zaccheo, CEO

(352) 465-9009 › www.projectliftmc.com › bob@projectliftmc.com

Project L.I.F.T. is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk teens through substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, vocational training, life skills, mentoring and a path to high school graduation.

PROGRAMS › Mental health treatment through non-traditional approaches, workforce development through vocational learning and life skills training, and a path to high school graduation.

IMPACT › Eighty-three percent of graduates are alcohol- and drug-free; seventy-two percent of members involved in the criminal justice system do not re-offend; one hundred percent of Marion County high school dropouts who completed the full day program received a nationally recognized high school diploma.

Saving Mercy Corporation Jason Halstead, Executive Director

3601 W Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL 34475

(352) 629-6902 › www.savingmercy.org › jason@bkocala.org

Saving Mercy exists to provide housing to the homeless and facilitate access to case management and support services so our clients become healthy, stably housed contributing members of the community.

PROGRAMS › Phase 1: During their stay in one of the efficiencies, residents are assigned a case manager who will conduct an individualized needs assessment to determine what services and opportunities will help lead the individual toward a healthy, self-sufficient lifestyle. Phase 2: Our 10-acre parcel will be subdivided into separate sections to house specific populations—veterans, families and individuals in need of permanent supportive housing. Phase 3: This phase focuses on partnering with residents of Saving Mercy and assisting them to move into their own housing at scattered sites throughout the community. Our goal is to have all our residents and clients eventually move into their own homes and to become self-sufficient, contributing members of society.

IMPACT › We helped move over 30 persons from being homeless to sheltered in a motel room or RV in the first year. We developed the innovative fundraising website www.lesshomeless.us to generate operational funding and raised private funds to purchase the former Motor Inns Motel & RV Park to develop affordable housing.

Photo Courtesy of The Salvaion Army Ocala/Marion County

Betty Gray, Executive Director

(352) 427-3569 › www.stirrupsnstrides.com › grayhitime@windstream.net

Stirrups ‘n Strides Therapeutic Riding Center Inc. aims to provide therapeutic horseback riding and carriage driving to anyone with physical, mental and emotional challenges and to improve the quality of life for these individuals with the opportunity for emotional, educational and physical growth through horsemanship and competition.

PROGRAMS › Therapeutic Riding and Carriage Driving: helps individuals with disabilities improve physical strength, coordination and balance and gain confidence, increased self-esteem, and an enhanced attention span; Stirrups ‘n Stripes: an equine therapy program for veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders; Life Transition School partnership: therapeutic riding and creative equine-assisted learning projects as part of a curriculum for young adults with disabilities transitioning from high school to life.

IMPACT › Expanded services and number of days offered to meet the needs of veterans through our partnership with The Vines Hospital; Life Transitional School students gained the benefits of therapeutic riding along with educational projects and hands-on activities with horses; an autistic teenage student was the youngest rider chosen to represent Team USA at the World Special Olympics 2019.

The Salvation Army Ocala/Marion County Dwayne Durham, Executive Director 2901 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 629-2004 › www.salvationarmyflorida.org/ocala › dwayne.durham@uss.salvationarmy.org

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

PROGRAMS › Center of Hope: provides emergency short-term housing, twice daily community feeding, clothing, hygiene products, food pantry items, utility assistance and case management; Corrections Program: counselors work with court-appointed clients to guide them through completing the requirements set by the judicial process; Evangeline Booth Garden Apartments is a 65-unit low-income, HUD-funded apartment complex where qualified residents can live an affordable and comfortable life in their senior years.

IMPACT › Renovated Center of Hope kitchen and dining room to serve 30 additional diners at a time; opened a computer lab for clients to take online courses; started an online reporting program to allow clients who reside elsewhere to fulfill their obligations without having to come to town.

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Human Services Transitions Life Center Inc.

Wear Gloves Inc.

3360 NW Gainesville Rd., Ocala, FL 34475

1469 N Magnolia Ave., Unit B, Ocala, FL 34475

Lucy Johnson, Executive Director

(352) 877-8999 › www.tlcocala.org › lucy@tlcocala.org

Transitions Life Center is a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide a safe, caring and enriching community for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

PROGRAMS › THRIVE (Teamwork, Honor, Respect, Independence, Values, Education): a year-round day program providing activities and care for individuals over 18; Enterprises: a program to develop collective entrepreneurial opportunities and community connections for THRIVE members.

IMPACT › Completed a new community center on a 22-acre campus where we will be able to increase services to over 50 members a day; expanded program membership by 40 percent; provided over $16,000 in assistance for qualifying THRIVE members.

Voices for Children of North Central Florida Inc. Sue Carpenter, President

Wendy Kebrdle, Executive Director

(352) 727-0239 › www.weargloves.org › wendy@weargloves.org

Wear Gloves has three main components: serve the distressed and marginalized in Marion County, Florida; teach others to serve more effectively with dignity, not dependency; and advocate for the distressed and marginalized in Marion County.

PROGRAMS › Church in the Garden street outreach; Dignity Center for job skills training; Dignity Roasters for job skills training and food handling certifications.

IMPACT › Assisted 45 clients per week to meet their needs; provided job references for 59 clients moving into full-time employment; transitioned 13 families into permanent housing.

Xtreme SOULutions Blaine Whitt, President

P.O. Box 5487, Ocala, FL 34478

P.O. Box 4062, Ocala, Florida 34478

(352) 484-0319 › www.voices4childrenfl.org › sue@voices4childrenfl.org

Voices for Children of North Central Florida aims to support critical physical and psychological needs of children who have a Guardian ad Litem assigned to them and support recruitment, training and retention of the volunteers who advocate for these children.

PROGRAMS › We provide funding so children can participate in the activities of their peers including sports, music and field trips. We ensure that each child receives Christmas gifts as requested by their Guardian ad Litem and provide shoes, diapers and clothing when children have been removed from their homes and placed in the care of others.

IMPACT › Guardians ad Litem often send notes expressing the children’s (and their) appreciation for clothing, other items and activity participation. provided.

(352) 694-4888 › www.xtremesoulutions.org › blainew@xtremesolutions.com

Xtreme SOULutions provides SOULutions for a second chance.

PROGRAMS › Operation Launch: a three-year program at Marion Correctional Institution (MCI) that teaches life skills, employment readiness, leadership training and family life; New Destiny: a program that teaches Youthful Offenders at MCI life skills and employment readiness; vocational training as an agency for the Florida Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

IMPACT › Over 350 men have successfully passed the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) exam; 17 men completed food handler’s training and five were also certified as Food Safety Managers.

Public Benefit 911 Cell Phone Bank

Believe in Santa Foundation Inc.

626 South Pine Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

11150 N Williams St., Suite 108, Dunnellon, FL 34432

James Mosieur, Executive Director

Keith Carson, President/CEO

(866) 290-7864 › www.911cellphonebank.org › jmosieur@911cellphonebank.org

The 911 Cell Phone Bank aims to provide a source for emergency communications to citizens in need who would otherwise not have any ability to obtain it.

PROGRAMS › Collect used cellular devices and distribute through law enforcement agencies, shelters for abuse victims, and seniors organizations.

IMPACT › We can now provide “live” phones as well as those used strictly for 911 emergency purposes.

Courtesy of Believe in Santa Foundation Inc.

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› NonProfit Business Council

(561) 509-5776 › www.believeinsanta.com › keith@believeinsanta.com

The Believe in Santa Foundation is a public service all-volunteer organization focused on improving life. Without any expectation of compensation, the foundation is dedicated to serving all children in need. We put people before profits, regardless of race, creed, color or sexual orientation.

PROGRAMS › Hospital visits: Santa spends time with children that can have visitors, gives each a gift, poses for photos, and talks with each of them; Photos with Santa: fundraising events where people can have their photo taken, even if they can’t pay; visits to military bases, children in hospices or to families whose house has been destroyed by fire or a natural disaster.

IMPACT ›Visited over 6,000 children in 2018; secured an architect, engineers, special effects personnel, and supplies for our North Pole project; added UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital to the ones we regularly visit.

Guests at the Nonprofit Resource Center opening

Brother’s Keeper

FLIP FLOP Support Groups Inc.

320 NW 10th St., Ocala, FL 34475

1629 NW 4th St., Ocala, FL 34475

Jason Halstead, Executive Director (352) 622-3846 › btbrotherskeeper.org › jason@bkocala.org

Brother’s Keeper is the charitable outreach arm of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church and is committed to assisting the poor and needy without regard to race, creed or ethnic origin.

PROGRAMS › We provide food/personal items, furniture, clothing, utilities, medications and gas cards for emergency needs. We serve a lunch meal at our soup kitchen every day of the year. We sell used clothing and furniture at our thrift store to help support our ministry.

IMPACT › Helped 4,100 families totaling 9,952 individuals; helped 524 homeless persons; gave out 2,243 bags of food and 1,324 clothing vouchers; assisted 858 people with their utility bills. During Christmas, we helped provide Christmas toys and food to 462 families and 301 children. Our soup kitchen served 86,273 meals last year.

PEO Sisterhood, Chapter EQ Christy Cathcart, President

9474 SW 86th Street Rd., Ocala, FL 34481

Jacalyn Brown, Executive Director

(352) 361-1206 › www.flipflopsg1.com › jabrownlady@gmail.com

FLIP-FLOP Support Groups shall thrive in any community that has institutions of incarceration to assist families by working to create an awareness of their needs, educating the community and advocating on their behalf.

PROGRAMS › Support group meetings; Angel Tree Network for collection and distrion of Christmas gifts to children of incarcerated persons; intake and assessment of needs for formerly incarcerated individuals.

IMPACT › Coordinated the collection and distribution of Christmas gifts for 55 children; held monthly support group meetings for families and formerly incarcerated persons.

Friends of Dunnellon Christmas Parade Martha Vaughn, Director

P.O. Box 3273, Dunnellon, Florida 34430

(352) 804-2364 › www.dunnellonchristmasparade.com › Martha@inkspotmedia.net

P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization where women celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship of Cottey College; and motivate each other to achieve their highest aspirations.

PROGRAMS › Sales of Georgia pecans that are harvested in the current year; liaisons with schools, colleges, and members of the community for viable candidates for the projects P.E.O. supports.

IMPACT › Raised over $8,000 from pecan sales; grew Chapter EQ by three members.

Friends of Dunnellon Christmas Parade (FODC) is a 501 (c)(4) non-profit organization whose mission is to bring community events to Dunnellon, Florida. Created in 2014, FODC added an after-celebration to kick off the holiday season that brings 5,000+ attendees.

PROGRAMS › The Small Town Christmas Parade runs right through downtown and offers floats, groups, and bands; the Celebration is at Dunnellon Little League Complex and offers food, games, photo opportunities, Santa photos, music, light show and Christmas Carols with Elvis.

IMPACT › We provide Christmas magic for young and old, and there have been no injuries, fights or other negative impact in the last five years. Photos with Santa are a great hit.

Community Foundation of Ocala/Marion County

GFWC Greater Ocala Women’s Club

324 SE 24th St., Ocala, FL 34471

7680 SW 94 Cir., Ocala, FL 34481

Our mission is to connect the charitable interest of the donor to build a stronger community.

PROGRAMS › The NonProfit Business Council aims to promote the positive economic impact of nonprofits; strengthen their capacity in areas of leadership, fundraising, board development, staff development and compliance; and provide collaboration and philanthropic education.

The Estate Planning Council of Marion County has served as a source of educational information and networking among estate planning professionals while promoting interdisciplinary communication and cooperation. The goal is to improve our knowledge to render the best services to clients and our community’s citizens. The Nonprofit Resource Center provides nonprofit technical assistance, professional development, capacity building tools, community partnership services and grant services. Within our grant services program, we offer strategic grant planning, grant prospecting, grant writing and editing, evaluation and data collection plans and other services.

IMPACT › The foundation created partnerships with four founding partners of the Nonprofit Resource Center: the City of Ocala, Marion County, the Marion County Hospital District and AdventHealth.

We are a non-profit volunteer organization whose purpose is to promote and provide charitable, educational and philanthropic activities.

PROGRAMS › Heart of Hero fashion show fundraiser; monthly book club; annual field trip.

IMPACT › Sent $6,000 to Operation Smile to provide free cleft surgeries for children; made hospital gowns; stuffed backpacks; read to kindergartners through United Way; helped kids at Ocala Days; worked at Dr. Seuss Day at Anthony School; provided books for Anthony School; created Valentine’s Day cards for Meals on Wheels; collected baby diapers for SoZo Kids and Interfaith Emergency Services.

(360) 981-1551 › www.peosisterhood.org › cathcart@telebyte.com

Lauren DeIorio, Executive Director

(352) 622-5020 › www.ocalafoundation.org › Lauren@ocalafoundation.org

Marguerite Robinson, President

(513) 315-1663 › www.gfwcgreaterocalawc.org › mrobinson689@gmail.com

The Brother’s Keeper Thrift Store

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Public Benefit Kiwanis Club of Ocala Inc.

Ocala Housing Authority

(352) 732-3872 › www.ocalakiwanis.org › ARS@purvisgray.com

P.O. Box 2468, Ocala, FL 34478

P.O. Box 682, Ocala, Florida 34478

The Kiwanis Club of Ocala Inc.’s mission is dedicated to serving children.

PROGRAMS › Camp Kiwanis has been in operation since 1948 and is partnered with Marion County Public Schools. We provide summer camp for 104 campers four weeks a year, with 25 percent of attendees receiving a scholarship. We educate parents of children under 5 about safe sleep (pack-n-plays), car seats, swim classes and Shaken Baby Syndrome, focus on literacy activities and book distributions, and provide programs for children ages 6 to 18 including swim classes, strategies to improve grades and support character development.

IMPACT › 100 summer camp scholarships awarded annually to youth ages 7 to 13; over 8,500 books distributed to children ages 4 to 8 in seven elementary schools through the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Program; distributed pack-n-plays and car seats; provided scholarships for safe swim classes for children, distributed information and conducted parent classes on Shaken Baby Syndrome; provided funding for students to participate in the Students Against Destructive Decisions curriculum.

Gwendolyn Dawson, CEO

(352) 369-2636 › www.ocalahousing.org › gdawson@ocalahousing.org

Marion County Sheriff ’s Office Foundation Inc.

The Ocala Housing Authority is committed to providing and expanding safe, decent, and sanitary housing in the most cost-efficient manner to the residents of Marion County and to providing economic opportunities and housing free from illegal discrimination. We want to build better neighborhoods by providing comprehensive opportunities for our residents through partnerships and networking within our community.

PROGRAMS › The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program subsidizes low-income families’ rental obligations, which allows the family to rent houses outside of traditional public housing; the Public Housing program provides subsidized housing to eligible families; the Homebuyer Club is designed to empower home buyers with knowledge of all aspects of purchasing and maintaining a home.

IMPACT › As a certified Housing Counseling Agency, we assisted nine families to become homeowners and played a major role in foreclosure prevention to many others. As a community partner, we assisted 24 children to attend the Boys & Girls Club. For the seventh year, we hosted 58 children in the summer enrichment and academic program Bridge to Hope.

692 NW 30th Ave., Ocala, FL 34475

Ocala Lions Club Charities Foundation

Gary Skogsbergh Sr., President

(352) 368-3582 › www.marionso.com/mcso-foundation › gskogsberghsr@gmail.com The foundation’s mission is to generate support for the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office programs that promote law enforcement, general public safety and welfare.

PROGRAMS › Assisted with purchasing two K-9 dogs; supported community programs for children, including the OTOW Halloween and Christmas parties.

Courtesy of Ocala Lions Club Charities Foundation

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› NonProfit Business Council

Audrey Hall, Executive Director P.O. Box 801, Ocala, FL 34478

(352) 854-6715 › www.ocalalionsclub.org › pdgaudrey@ocalalionsclub.org

We serve our community and beyond by empowering club members to volunteer to meet humanitarian needs and improve our community.

PROGRAMS › Screen children ages 1 to 6 for misaligned eyes, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, vision/light obstructions within the eyes, and amblyopia; Silent Santa: buy and distribute clothing, toys, and gift cards to families/children in need at Christmas; Eyeglasses: collecting eyeglasses and hearing aids to be refurbished and distributed.

IMPACT › Screened at 53 pre-schools and four health fairs; saw 2,001 children, of which 239 were referred for professional help; purchased and distributed clothing, toys, and gift cards to 273 families and 649 children at Christmas; collected over 9,000 pairs of eyeglasses.

Courtesy of Pay It Forward Outreach Corp

Ocala Main Street

Pay It Forward Outreach Corp

P.O. Box 302, Ocala, FL 34478

3700 SW 7th St., Ocala, FL 34474

Jessica Marr, Executive Director (352) 421-0047 › www.ocalamainstreet.com › jessica@ocalamainstreet.com

Bonnie Vitale, Founder

(352) 620-8545 › www.payitforwardoutreach.com › Bonnie.Vitale@payitforwardoutreach.com

Ocala Main Street is a community-wide effort to promote downtown Ocala through events, culture and economic vitality.

PROGRAMS › Economic Vitality: helping downtown businesses develop long-term solutions for sustainability and offering complimentary valet parking; Design: enhancing the physical and visual assets that set our downtown district apart to visitors and residents and supporting cultural arts, history and new downtown development; Downtown Promotions: attract residents, visitors, employers and investors downtown through parades, festivals, retail events and Feel Downtown Ocala.

IMPACT › 2018 Outstanding Florida Main Street Special Event award winner for the Parade of Nations event, which showcases our beautiful downtown and the equine community, bringing thousands of locals and horse fans to the square.

Pay It Forward Outreach Corp’s mission is to empower the family unit through educational growth and emotional support so the family will gain stability and self-worth through the Gospel.

PROGRAMS › Sustainable Home: provide donated furniture, housewares, appliances and home essentials to families who were at one time homeless, families misplaced by natural causes and families with economic difficulties; Adopt a Family for Christmas: gifts, food and toiletries for families with a member going through cancer treatment, with children with autism or who are low income; God’s Servants Mission Group: annual mission trips and monthly monetary assistance for mission in Cuba.

IMPACT › In 2018, provided service to 386 families through our Sustainable Home program.

Ocala On Top of the World Lions Club

Special Olympics Florida Inc.

P.O. Box 772733 Ocala, FL 34477

1915 Don Wickham Dr., Clermont, FL 34711

We empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions Clubs.

PROGRAMS › Christmas Toy Drive for clients of the Domestic Violence Center, Arnette House, Toys for Tots and Marion County Children’s Alliance; monetary and volunteer support for Back to School Bash; Memorial Day Service and Veterans Day Service in On Top of The World.

IMPACT › Served approximately 600 families with our Christmas Toy Drive; served 1,500 with Back to School Bash; spoke to numerous veterans and residents at Memorial Day and Veterans Day services; served approximately 10,000 people through our volunteers’ service activities and through in-kind and monetary donations to various children’s and veterans organizations.

The mission of Special Olympics Florida is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities who wish to participate, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

PROGRAMS › Unified Champion Schools: promote social inclusion by bringing together young people with and without ID on sports teams (Special Olympics Unified Sports®) through inclusive student clubs, together in school or community-wide initiatives, and fostering youth leadership; Young Athletes: innovative sports play program for children ages 2 to 7 with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities and their peers, designed to introduce them into the world of sports.

IMPACT › Hosted 109 clinics in 2018 and provided 10,955 individual screenings for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with assistance from 2,327 health volunteers; served a record 53,000 athletes in more than 500 Florida schools thanks to our 33,000 volunteers, donors and families.

Charles Parrish, President

(352) 425-6316 › www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/ocalatow › otowlionsinfo@gmail.com

Special Olympics Florida Inc.

Sherry Wheelock, CEO

(352) 988-7998 › www.specialolympicsflorida.org › sherrywheelock@sofl.org

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

029

Public Benefit The Haitian-American Community Alliance (THACA)

United Way of Marion County Inc.

12815 SW 61st Ct., Ocala, FL 34473

1401 NE 2nd St., Ocala, FL 34470

Albert Joseph, Chairman

(917) 482-6531 › www.sharethaca.org › albertjoseph78@yahoo.com

We bring together all people of the Marion County community to provide them with education and fellowship so they can be better informed citizens, healthier people and find a sense of community.

PROGRAMS › Public events that provide speakers who inform the public of the opportunities, rights and responsibilities of their citizenship in the local community, state and country; English as a Second Language (ESL) education for adults and children; translation services for people in need of medical, legal and other services.

IMPACT › The Immigration Forum keeps the community informed about TPS (temporary immigration status in the U.S.). Those affected were counseled by qualified immigration attorneys. At the Lincoln Funeral Advantage/Final Expenses presentation, representatives from Lincoln informed the community on how to be prepared for an inevitable situation. Marion Senior Services gave a presentation on the various services available to the elderly, disadvantaged and disabled residents of Marion County to help them maintain independent living status.

The Pearl Project

Joy Zedler, Executive Director

625 NE 12th Ave., Ocala, FL 34470

Scot Quintel, Executive Director

(352) 732-9696 › www.uwmc.org › squintel@uwmc.org

The United Way of Marion County Inc. works to unite local resources to help our neighbors.

PROGRAMS › Strong Families: a financial stability program that helps families get out of poverty and enhance their housing and employment opportunities through skill-building and case management; ReadingPals: an early literacy program that matches up struggling kindergarten students with a reading mentor; V.I.T.A.: free tax preparation with the help of volunteer income tax preparers.

IMPACT › Strong Families Initiative assisted program graduates in increasing their household income on average by 27 percent; V.I.T.A. prepared returns for over 2,500 low income residents at no cost, which brought nearly $1 million back into our community through the Earned Income Tax credit; continued to provide over $1 million in funding to our 22 funded partners.

Unity Family Community Center Inc. Joyce Wilson, Executive Director

20030 NE 23rd Pl., Williston, FL 32696

(352) 529-2030 › www.ufccflorida.org › jwilsonufcc@outlook.com

We help vulnerable children discover their value.

PROGRAMS › Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Caregiver Trainings for group homes, foster/adoptive/kinship families, educators and professionals who work with children; Foster/Adoptive/Kinship Support Groups: a safe space for caregivers to share their successes and struggles; Kid-2-Kid Closet: free items to foster/adoptive/kinship families at Highlands Baptist Church.

IMPACT › Provided the full 24-hour TBRI Caregiver Training to two group homes, Hands of Mercy Everywhere and Arnette House; helped initiate the Cuddler Program at Advent Health and trained 10 cuddlers; increased attendance at our annual Empowered to Connect simulcast from 64 in 2018 to 164 in 2019; served 80 children through the Connect Kids program.

The Unity Family Community Center aims to improve the quality of life of families and individuals by providing services and opportunities designed to create a culture of C.A.R.E. PROGRAMS › Health Education (PREP SRAE) provides services that promote sexual-risk avoidance education; mentoring (JBU) is designed to ensure that youth have the tools to develop academic, social and personal skills that are necessary to promote success in school and future endeavors; After-School (S.W.A.G.) supports academic achievement through the provision of a wide variety of quality activities and culturally enriching programs.

IMPACT › Levy County Board of County Commissioners donated two buses to transport children; The Amazing Give annual fundraiser donations increased by 58 percent; received preliminary approval to be a vocational rehabilitation provider.

Courtesy of The Pearl Project

Volunteers of America of Florida

(352) 405-5005 › www.thepearlprojectcf.org › joy@thepearlprojectcf.org

Janet Stringfellow, CEO

111 NE 12th Ave., Ocala, FL 34470

(727) 369-8500 › www.voaflorida.org › jstringfellow@voa-fla.org

Volunteers of America of Florida engage Floridians in need to create positive life changes through compassionate support services.

PROGRAMS › Supportive Services for Veteran Families provides temporary and supportive services for low-income veterans and veteran families; Ocala Ritz-Grant Per Diem Program provides clinical treatment, transitional housing and case management services to homeless veterans; Ocala Ritz Reserve-Affordable Housing Program provides indefinite, affordable housing to low-income families.

IMPACT › The #1 provider of veteran transitional housing, touching more than 5,500 people each day through 78 programs and services in Florida; developed the Ocala Realizing Recovery Aftercare Program, a continuum of support to individuals who have recently completed a substance abuse program.

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› NonProfit Business Council

Veterans Causes Ocala Blue Star Mothers Anne Parker, President

P.O. Box 770824, Ocala, FL 34477-0824

(843) 504-0032 › www.ocalabluestarmothers.org › president.fl10@bluestarmothers.us Ocala Blue Star Mothers works to support our military, veterans and families of the fallen.

PROGRAMS › Provide care packages, cards and welcome home events for our military; volunteer to support veterans at the Veterans Administration, Veterans Helping Veterans and Wreaths Across America; provide Gold Star Flags to families of the fallen.

IMPACT › Sent care packages and cards to military and sponsored a welcome home event; solicited funds that provided over 200 wreaths at Wreaths Across America; provided two Gold Star Flags.

Patriot Service Dogs Julie Sanderson, CEO

10545 SE 42nd Ct., Belleview, FL 32210

Veterans Helping Veterans USA Inc. Hank Whittier, Executive Director

2730 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 433-2320 › www.vhvusa.org › vetshelpingvets@vhvusa.org

Our mission is to assist veterans and their families who need social services and information to improve their lives and assist them in maintaining their independence. This is accomplished through direct contact with veterans and their families.

PROGRAMS › Veterans Court: assist the court, public defender and state attorney’s office with a diversion program for veterans who commit minor crimes; Heroes Shouldn’t be Homeless: provides emergency funding for veterans’ housing and provides rent-to-own home ownership through a partnership program with other agencies to get qualified veterans into their own homes; Stand Down: a community-based intervention program to expedite training and employment opportunities for veterans and reduce veterans’ homelessness.

(352) 514-9903 › www.patriotservicedogs.org › julie@patriotservicedogs.org

We place well-trained service dogs with deserving veterans at no cost to them. We use the time and talents of our inmate trainers and our volunteers.

PROGRAMS › Women Offering Obedience Friendship (W.O.O.F.) Patriot Service Dogs: trains service dogs inside of prison with a focus on educational opportunities for the inmates who do the training; partnership with Haile’s Angels Pet Rescue to provide training for adoptable dogs and help pups find their forever home; Weekend Socializers: families, individuals and couples who help socialize our prison pups; Patriot Landing: a new venture to build an outside facility for training older pups.

IMPACT › This is our 10th anniversary and we have grown each year.

We placed another five service dogs with veterans in need and had our fourth Army vs. Navy Golf Tournament.

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

031

Why Give?

by Lisa McGinnes

We asked a few local philanthropists what motivates them to support community charities.

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his lovely couple made their home in Ocala 32 years ago when they moved from New York. At age 59, they were young and vibrant retirees and, as Frank says, put all their energies “into becoming bona fide ‘Ocalans/Marion Countians’ and not just ‘former New Yorkers.’” Over the past three decades they have given the gifts of their time, talent and treasures to more than a dozen local causes as volunteers, board members and donors. They were honored for their selfless endeavors by the March of Dimes at its 2012 Honoring Excellence gala and by Interfaith Emergency Services at its 2017 Legacies of Love luncheon.

“We cared about and loved Ocala/Marion County,” he explains, “and wanted to make a positive contribution to the evolution and development, to the promise that Marion County can have for all its citizens, to help it to be a welcoming place.”

After a lifetime of service, his in the U.S. military and then the nonprofit sector, and hers as a schoolteacher and then civil servant, there was never any question that the couple would spend their golden years giving back.

“Service is the price you pay to live in your community,” Frank maintains. “Those are your dues. If you’re not serving in your community, I ask the question, what good are you?”

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ANGIE LEWIS

hen she moved to Ocala in 2005, former educator Angie Lewis sought out an organization she could be part of that contributed to what she calls the “incredibly foundational” early years of children’s education. She joined the board of The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, which she says was made up of business and civic leaders and educators she calls “some of the most caring individuals in this community.” Those connections led she and husband Clint to other organizations they were drawn to support, including Wear Gloves, Women’s Pregnancy Center, Marion Cultural Alliance, Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, Reilly Arts Center, Pace Center for Girls, Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County and Interfaith Emergency Services.

Her business, Angie Lewis State Farm, is located in historic downtown Ocala, which she says is “the core and heartbeat of our community—a gathering place for us all” that gives us an overall better quality of life.

Angie and Clint have a simple explanation for why they’ve given so much of their time and support to local charities.

“We believe it’s what we’re here to do.

The community has been so good to us and supported us in moving here and opening a business. We recognize it’s not our business, it’s God’s business.”

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KEN AUSLEY

f the name Ausley sounds familiar, it may be because the Ausley Construction company has been building commercial spaces in Marion County since 1958. Or it may be because CEO Ken Ausley is never too busy to assist local organizations—as a board member of the Ocala/Marion County Community Foundation and Kimberly’s Center and chairman of the Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP), just to name a few. He and wife Shari founded Ambleside School and are very involved with Brick City Church.

Ken, who spent time working in the nonprofit sector after college before returning to Ocala, credits faith and family as his motivation to give back to the community.

“Number one is faith,” he shares. “It’s a big part of my story, my life, and as a result drives me to want to give and to serve.

Second, I was raised in a family where both my parents served and gave and sacrificed for the good of others.”

Ken says he and Shari made sure to pass on to their three children, now high school and college age, the importance of being involved in the community.

“Part of our philanthropic endeavors is to model for them what it means to be a good member of the community and what it means to give back and serve.”

Mr. & Mrs. Rasbury: Photo by Berry Davis Angie Lewis: Photo by Ralph Demilio Ken Ausley: Photo by Michelle Foster

FRANK AND NAÏDA KING RASBURY

Join us as we honor Vietnam Veterans who served in the US Forces from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975

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| vfwveteransvillage.org VFW VETERANS VILLAGE 352.236.0823 | 13005 NE 135th Street, Ft. McCoy, FL 32134 2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING › 033

Jason Halstead, Saving Mercy Executive Director

Promotional

Room at the Inn

by Lisa McGinnes Photography by Meagan Gumpert

2016 was declared a Year of Mercy by Pope Francis; Catholics around the world were urged to pay special attention to finding ways to help the poor. For a group of parishioners at Ocala’s Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, that meant a new endeavor to provide shelter for the homeless of Marion County.

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aving Mercy was created as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing housing for the homeless.

The group knew that on any given night there are between 150 and 300 unsheltered homeless people in Marion County, a number that goes up and down depending on the season. The founders of Saving Mercy felt compelled to provide more options to reduce the number of men, women and children living without a safe place to sleep right here in our own community.

Jason Halstead, Saving Mercy’s executive director, says the “Housing First” model they follow is a simple one. “What’s the best way to help the homeless? Provide housing,” he asserts. “The research says if you want to help the homeless the best way is to provide housing, and provide opportunities for wraparound services—access to substance abuse counseling, access to vocational training, access to get an ID, and have housing with a case manager who can help facilitate access to all those other things that they need to become independent and self-sufficient. That’s the whole goal.”

In May 2018, Saving Mercy purchased the former Motor Inns & RV Park on West State Road 40 near the interstate.

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SAVING MERCY INN & RV PARK

“What we’re doing right now is offering a motel and RV park and taking some of those units and helping people who were formerly homeless,” Halstead reveals. A year and a half after opening, just over one-third of the 40 motel rooms are occupied by Saving Mercy clients, who have subsidized rent assistance. They have a safe, affordable place to live in the form of a standard motel room with a microwave, refrigerator, Wi-Fi, and a coin-operated laundry room. A full-time, on-site case manager helps residents get connected to other social services they need and to make a long-term plan to become self-sufficient and ultimately move to unsubsidized, standard housing once they’re back on their feet.

What makes Saving Mercy truly unique is the other housing option: the RV park.

Halstead explains that the organization owns many of the RVs in the park and can rent them to homeless people or families who need more permanent shelter than a motel room. It’s a unique option that can accommodate larger families or single parents with children. Also, residents may be approved to bring their well-behaved pet, something unheard of in most emergency and

supportive housing facilities and something that provides a lot of comfort to people already in tough situations.

“The nice thing about RVs is they are affordable,” Halstead says, adding that the rent for an RV is usually hundreds of dollars a month less than standard apartment rent. “If we put a client into an RV maybe they can go to another RV park and remain stably housed.”

Steve Chamberlain, who was the first client to live at Saving Mercy Inn, now lives in a comfortable fifth wheel with his two rescue cats, Buddy and Shoogie. When he moved into the inn last summer after being homeless, he volunteered to do work around the property and was eventually hired on as a maintenance technician. He’s been able to afford a television and the things he needs to live comfortably. That stability allows him to help others, and you can see how much he cares, greeting all the residents by name and smiling, whether completing a repair or cleaning up the property. He points out the park’s new playground and fenced dog run that he helped build.

“I got you,” is his standard, sincere answer when residents come to him with any concern.

Chamberlain says he’s now able to lend a helping hand to others because of the help

he received from folks like Mark Lindsay, who works full-time onsite managing Saving Mercy Inn & RV Park.

Lindsay, who has a background working in the correctional system, also has a heart of gold and a humble spirit.

“You have to have a heart and a passion to help people,” he says, adding that his goal for the residents is that they eventually move on as “productive citizens who can provide for themselves.”

WHAT’S NEXT AND HOW TO HELP

Repurposing an existing motel and RV park allowed Saving Mercy to provide immediate housing, and the group has bigger plans to create a new, strategically designed community on the site, with 44 new duplex units surrounding a green space, which Halstead calls “a little community within the larger neighborhood.” The site-built apartments, he says, will create small, durable housing that meets HUD requirements and provide people experiencing homelessness with transitional housing “meant to be a move onward.” Halstead says residents will sign a standard one-year lease, but thanks to grant funds and donations, Saving Mercy takes “the worry of losing housing off the table” by helping with subsidized rent and deposit assistance.

Saving Mercy will begin a capital campaign in early 2020 to raise the additional funds needed for expansion. They’ve already launched their cleverly designed website, www.lesshomeless.us, which makes it easy for donors at any income level to help by making tax-deductible purchases from the online store using PayPal or Google Pay. Options range from $2.79, the cost of

providing electricity for one room for one day, to $343, the cost to pay the salaries of all employees for one day. A $49 gift funds one night of “delivering safe, dry, caring accommodation while our residents get on the path to stable housing.” Donors can opt-in for recurring gifts to fund these ongoing needs every month, can choose from a list of always-needed items like cleaning supplies, garbage bags and toilet paper, and can also make a monetary donation of any amount starting at $10.

We all know homelessness is a problem in our community; Saving Mercy is making it easy for all of us to be part of the solution.

SAVING MERCY › 3601 W Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL 34475 › (352) 629-6902 › info@savingmercy.org › www.lesshomeless.us › www.savingmercy.org

Mission Statement Saving Mercy is a faith-based organization that exists to provide housing and case management services to at-risk and vulnerable homeless to help them become stably housed.

www.lesshomeless.us Our website for donors to help support our mission by making tax-deductible purchases using PayPal or Google Pay.

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Philanthropy Education Around the Dinner Table

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by Allison B. Campbell, APR, CPRC, Director of Strategic Communication, Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County

articipating in a food collection drive for a local food pantry, donating clothing and toys to nonprofit thrift stores, dropping money in the Salvation Army red kettles…these forms of giving back to the community’s less fortunate resonate with the spirit of giving around the holiday season. However, the concept of giving is not innate in each of us—it’s something taught. That’s why it is important for families, mentors, teachers and loved ones to dedicate time to train tomorrow’s givers today.

In its simplest form, philanthropy means “for the love of humanity.” Through volunteering time to help nonprofits and faith-based causes, using talents in art, finance, law, music, administration and more to benefit the community, or giving financial resources to help sustain or invigorate a cause for which you’re passionate, there’s a philanthropist inside of us all. As the verse says, “it is more blessed to give than to receive,” and those who have given understand the feeling that comes when you know you’re helping others. However, if we aren’t passing down these concepts to our children and grandchildren, students and neighbors, how will young people understand what it’s like to give back?

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When I was 7 years old, my grandfather taught me this powerful principle. Around the family dinner table one evening, he told me he would start giving me a small allowance each week for a task I had to do. However, he said I should give a portion back of every stipend I earned to my local church as a tithe. What started in me then, as a conversation around a dinner table, started a passion for giving back that translated into my adult life.

When I was right out of college, working at my first job, I heard a presentation by the local United Way. The nonprofit partner agency sharing that day helped developmentally disabled children in that community, and I knew it well. My only sister had attended their early intervention programs as a toddler and benefited greatly from their services made possible because of United Way gifts. I saw firsthand how someone else’s giving directly impacted my family, and I was hooked. I felt deep down how important giving was to local communities, and that’s something I want my children to see as well.

Gathering for mealtimes doesn’t happen as often as it once did. Busy schedules, technology, and fast food conveniences sometimes don’t give us the time we need to pour into the lives of loved ones. However, I encourage you to consider the impacts those dinnertime talks can have on a child.

Ask children questions like: 1.) Were you kind to someone today? Who? How did it make you feel?

2.) What kinds of things could you give to a friend without wanting something in return?

3.) Where does our food come from, and how do we pay for it? What about the homeless man on the street? Where do you think he got food today?

4.) I learned a family is in need; do you think there’s anything we could do to help them?

5.) What do you think you couldn’t live without?

Could we help someone have that too?

6.) What is most valuable to you? How can we help someone feel that value?

Get children involved in giving back at an early age, and those ideas will remain with them for a lifetime. A few simple questions will get a child’s mind to start working on solutions.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve served on nonprofit boards, chaired fundraising committees, worked for various causes and chosen to serve in areas where I am passionate. I have witnessed the importance of those philanthropic lessons from my grandfather…all because of a conversation around the dinner table.

We Believe in Kidney Transplants The Marion County Kidney Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit orgranization dedicated to helping individuals affected by kidney disease in Marion County, FL

Your donation to the foundation will help support these patients.

Over 98% of all funds go directly to the patients

Offering Grants to Cover Treatment Costs & Living Expenses Helping Patients with the Transplant Program Qualification Process

Phone. 352-671-5013 mckfhumanity@gmail.com marioncountykidneyfoundation.org 2980 SE 3rd Court Ocala, Florida 34471 2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Trinity Catholic Winter Carnival

2020 Charitable Events January Ocala Farm Ministries - Horse Farms Forever

Stand Down - Veterans Helping Veterans USA

New Year New You - RAMAL Educational & Social Services Inc.

Corks & Canvas - ARC Marion

Special Olympics County Equestrian Games -

Sneakers & S’mores 5K - Public Education Foundation

Stirrups & Strides A Night of Excellence Gala - Marion County Children's Alliance Run for Reading 5k - United Way of Marion County Casino Royale Fundraising Event -

of Marion County Marion “Moot” Thomas Golf Scramble/Memorial Golf Classic - Public Education Foundation of Marion County Community Care Gala - United Way of Marion County

Veterans Helping Veterans USA

February Marion Motor Fest - ARC Marion

JA Superhero Bowl-A-Thon - Junior Achievement

King of the Wing - ARC Marion

Melody of Love, Variety Show - Love INC

Marion County Father-Daughter Dance - Ambleside School of Ocala

Sweet Home Ocala - Marion County Homeless Council

Wild Reading Safari - Episcopal Children’s Services

Annual Pasta Dinner - Marion County Sheriff’s

Annual Clearance Book Sale - Friends of the Dunnellon Public Library

Office Foundation HITS Family Day - Marion Therapeutic Riding Association

Heart of a Hero - GFWC Greater Ocala Women’s Club

Tiara Ball - Ocala Royal Dames

Have a Heart for Harvest - Harvest International

Annual Voices of Pace Luncheon - Pace Center for Girls

Open House and Tack Sale - Horse Protection

Trinity Catholic Winter Carnival - Trinity

Association of Florida Legacies of Love - Interfaith Emergency Services

Catholic High School The Furball - Voices of Change Animal League (VOCAL)

For specific event details and dates, please check with the charity associated with each event

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Parade of Nations

March Altrusa Trivia Night - Altrusa International of Ocala Marion County Go Red for Women American Heart Association Annual Benefit & Auction - Arnette House Annual Gala - Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County NFL Caring For Kids Clay Shoot & Celebrity Dinner Champions for Champions

Habitat Ocala Strawberry Festival and Strawberry Jam 5k Habitat for Humanity of Marion County Ladies High Tea - Interfaith Emergency Services Missy Kings Hookin’ for Habitat Fishing Tournament Habitat for Humanity of Marion County Casino Royale: Havana Nights - Kids Central March for Meals - Marion Senior Services

Annual Gala & Benefit - Christian 12 Step Ministry

Parade of Nations - Ocala Main Street

Night at the Farm - College of Central Florida Foundation

Dip It Fundraiser - Pay It Forward Outreach

Ignite - Creative Services (Ocala Domestic Violence Shelter)

Amazing Give - Transitional Living of North Central Florida

Silent/Live Auction at FTBOA Annual Awards Gala -

Youth United Way St. Paddy’s Day 5k - United Way of

Florida Thoroughbred Charities

Marion County

April Hoedown - Brother’s Keeper & Saving Mercy

Annual Celebrate JA Breakfast - Junior Achievement

Ocala Bike Fest - ARC Marion

HALO Awards: Honoring Foster Parents - Kids Central

Semi Annual Book Sale- Friends of the Freedom Public Library

Race Against Child Abuse - Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection

Walk Like A Pharoah Walkathon - Gentle Carousel Miniature

Family Night Under the Stars - Marion County Literacy Council

Therapy Horses Gentle Carousel Magical Gala - Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses

Bunco Babes Annual Tournament - Michelle-O-Gram Puppy Crop Scrapbooking Weekend - Patriot Service Dogs Be You Walk for Children’s Mental Health - The Centers

Annual Mother Son Dance - Grace Christian School

Empowered to Connect - The Pearl Project

Brick City Beer & Wine Festival - Interfaith Emergency

Western Horsemanship Project 5K - Wild Horsemanship Center

Services/Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection/Marion County

Hot Cars and Cool Cats - Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary (EARS)

Literacy Council

Spring Bunco Party - All About You Angels

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Photo Courtesy of Trinity Symphony Catholic Under Winterthe Carnival Stars

May Symphony Under The Stars - Fine Arts For Ocala (FAFO)

Pace Derby Day 5k/10k Race - Pace Center for Girls

Hippie Dash - Goodwill Industries

Spring Fling Bowling Tournament - Public Education

Save Our Springs Mermaid Gala - Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute Ride for the Arts Gran Fondo - Marion Cultural Alliance

Foundation of Marion County 2020 Symphony Gala - Reilly Arts Center Ocala Derby Party - Cornerstone School

June Give Springs a Break - Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute

Taste of Cuba - Pay It Forward Outreach Quarter Auction & Dinner - Voices for Children

National FLIP FLOP Day - FLIP FLOP Support Groups Kiss the Horse - Marion County Literacy Council

July Get Active Walk A Thon - Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County

Art in the Attic - Marion Cultural Alliance

Cultural Festival Fashion Show - Champions for Champions

Beauty Behind Bars - New Visions Ministries

Bounce-a-Palooza - Deliverance Outreach Ministries

August Annual Sportsman’s Dinner & Auction Kiwanis Club of Ocala Art of Aging - Marion Senior Services Pack The House - New Visions Ministries

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Fashion Show - All About You Angels Back2School - Florida Conference of SDA Back to School Health Fair - Heart of Florida Health Center

Photo Courtesy of Parade Applaud of the Nations Arts

September Marion County Heart Walk - American Heart Association

Celebration of Recovery - Phoenix House

Arnette House Regatta Boat Race - Arnette House

Cornerstone Leads the Way 5K - Cornerstone School

Scholarship & Awards Gala - Black Nurses Rock Ocala

Dream Builder 5K (Virtual Run) - Transitions Life Center (TLC)

Founder’s Society Event - Faithfully Guided Foundation

Jeans & Jerseys Tailgate Party - Trinity Catholic High School

Bowl2Build Bowl-a-thon - Habitat for Humanity

Hometown Heroes Breakfast - Veterans Helping Veterans USA

Walk a Mile in My Shoes - Interfaith Emergency Services

October Florida Feast - Marion County Roadbuilders Association (MCRAFL) benefiting numerous nonprofits Bunco Party - All About You Angels CoAdvantage Golf Tournament - Boys & Girls Club of Marion County

Beer & Bags Cornhole Tournament for Literacy Marion County Literacy Council Halloween Party at OTOW - Marion County Sheriff ’s Office Foundation

UniversABILITY Pageant - Champions for Champions

Applaud the Arts - Marion Cultural Alliance

Good Beginnings for Children Breakfast -

Advanced Imaging Flamingo Flockings - Michelle-O-Gram

Early Learning Coalition of Marion County The Ocala Arts Festival - Fine Arts For Ocala (FAFO) Angel Tree Network - FLIP FLOP Support Groups

Clay Sport Shooting Event - Project Hope Boo Bowl Bowling Fundraiser - Public Education Foundation of Marion County

Dining in the Dark - Florida Center for the Blind

TBRI® Toolbox Training - The Pearl Project

Charity Golf Tournament - Florida Thoroughbred Charities

Round’n Up Our Partners - Unity Family Community Center

Semi Annual Book Sale- Friends of the

Steps for Vets - Volunteers for America

Freedom Public Library

MAX Paint Out - Magnolia Art Xchange

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Photo Courtesy of Trinity Marion Catholic CountyWinter Chili Cook-Off Carnival

November Photos with Santa - Believe in Santa Foundation

White Cane Day - OTOW Lions Club

Annual Golf Tournament - Christian 12 Step Ministry

Jackets & Jeans - Open Arms Village

The Game of Life - 21st Century C.A.R.E

Xglosive Tennis Fundraiser - Public Education

Fall Car Show - Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary (EARS)

Foundation of Marion County

Artini - Magnolia Art Xchange

Marion County Chili Cook-Off - Cornerstone School

Over the Edge Ocala - Marion Cultural Alliance

Red Kettle Kick-off and Campaign - The Salvation Army

Bread and Butter Benefit - Marion Senior Services

Champagne Dreams Gala - Transitions Life Center (TLC)

Holiday Market - Marion Therapeutic Riding Association

Sandra Gal Charity Challenge - Volunteers for America

December Photos with Santa - Believe in Santa Foundation Reindeer Run 5K- benefiting multiple nonprofits

Passing of the Leash Ceremony - Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs

Open House - Covenant Children’s Home

Annual Pancake Day - Kiwanis Club of Ocala

Parent Teaching Children Seminar - Deliverance

Golf Tournament - Ocala Lions Club Charities

Outreach Ministries Small Town Christmas Parade & Celebration Friends of the Dunnellon Christmas Parade

Wreaths Across America - Ocala Blue Star Mothers Symphony Under the Lights - Ocala Symphony Orchestra Army vs Navy Golf Tournament - Patriot Service Dogs

King of the Wing

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And More!

Call to schedule your FREE pickup!

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Proceeds benefit the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches

www.sre4kids.org

REQUIRED DISCLOSURE INFORMATION Florida – “A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA 1-800-HELP-FLA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.” Sheriffs Ranches Enterprises, Registration Numbers is: CH20347

MarionSeniorServices Life is meant to be enjoyed, and aging is an art form meant to be embraced by each and every one of us. For over 45 years, Marion Senior Services, with the support of our community, has honored our elders by providing resources to maintain their personal independence. Our team of dedicated professionals are like family, creating opportunities for our clients to find new relationships, healthier habits, and manage daily living activities.

Forging relationships within the communities we serve is vital to our survival. Our partners affirm our belief that when people give part of themselves to help others, they set in motion a continuum of compassion that extends beyond ourselves, to our neighbors, our community, and the world. When you donate, or volunteer to serve those most in need, you don’t just make a difference in the lives around you, you allow those whom you serve, to make a difference in you.

352.620.3501 | 1101 SW 20th Ct, Ocala 34471 2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Courtesy of Center for Independent Living

Volunteer Opportunities Here’s how you can help our local nonprofits better serve our community. Contact each organization for details.

TECHNICAL SKILLS/ WEBSITE/ SOCIAL MEDIA Champions for Champions Ocala Film Foundation Saving Mercy Corporation Veterans Helping Veterans USA Wear Gloves Xtreme Soulutions

OFFICE/CLERICAL WORK

Brother’s Keeper Center for Independent Living Children’s Home Society College of Central Florida Foundation Inc. Creative Services Inc. Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc. Estella Byrd Whitman Wellness & Community Resource Center Friends of the Dunnellon Public Library Inc Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. Interfaith Emergency Services Marion Cultural Alliance New Direction Reentry Center of Marion Ocala Civic Theatre Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research Pay It Forward Outreach Corp The Pearl Project Public Policy Institute Saving Mercy Corporation

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United Way of Marion County Inc. Veterans Helping Veterans USA Inc. Volunteers of America

EVENT SUPPORT

Ambleside School American Heart Association Arnette House College of Central Florida Foundation Inc. Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc. Faithfully Guided Foundation Fine Arts For Ocala Inc. (FAFO) Friends of Dunnellon Christmas Parade Friends of the Dunnellon Public Library Inc Habitat for Humanity of Marion County Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute Inc. Marion County Children’s Alliance Ocala Blue Star Mothers Ocala Film Foundation Ocala Main Street Project L.I.F.T.

SPORTS PROGRAMS Special Olympics Florida Inc. The Cornerstone School Transitions Life Center (TLC) Trinity Catholic High School

USHERS/GREETERS

Ocala Civic Theatre Ocala Symphony Orchestra Reilly Arts Center

CONSTRUCTION WORK / PAINTING / MAINTENANCE Brother’s Keeper Covenant Children’s Home Episcopal Children’s Services Forest Animal Rescue Interfaith Emergency Services Ocala Civic Theatre Project L.I.F.T. Veterans Helping Veterans USA

LANDSCAPING

Episcopal Children’s Services Forest Animal Rescue Interfaith Emergency Services Salvation Army

MENTORS / TUTORS

Love INC of the Heart of Florida Marion County Literacy Council Kids Central Junior Achievement Christian 12 Step Ministry Covenant Children’s Home

Public Education Foundation of Marion County Altrusa International Foundation of Ocala Inc. Marion County Children’s Alliance Pace Center for Girls United Way of Marion County Inc. Florida Conference of SDA Special Olympics Florida Inc.

DRIVERS

Marion Senior Services Wear Gloves Florida Center for the Blind Hospice of Marion County

TELEPHONE SUPPORT/ CUSTOMER SERVICE

Love INC in the Heart of Florida Marion Senior Services Ocala Symphony Orchestra NAMI Marion County Inc.

SUMMER CAMP WORKERS

Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Transitions Life Center Kiwanis Club of Ocala

STRAIGHTENING/ORGANIZATION Salvation Army The Pearl Project Habitat for Humanity Brother’s Keeper Creative Services Inc. Pay It Forward Outreach Corp Ocala Lions Club - Ocala Lions Club Charities Foundation

ACCOUNTING

Kids Central Wear Gloves Believe in Santa Foundation Inc. Pay It Forward Outreach Corp

WORKING WITH ANIMALS

EARS Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary Forest Animal Rescue Humane Society of Marion County

Courtesy of Arnette House

Horse Protection Association of Florida Voices of Change Animal League (VOCAL) Patriot Service Dogs Perpetual Care

BOARD MEMBERS

Public Policy Institute Champions for Champions Marion Therapeutic Riding Association GFWC Greater Ocala Woman’s Club NAMI Marion County Inc.

FUNDRAISING PLANNING/ COMMITTEE

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses Ocala Main Street Ocala Film Foundation Francis Marion Military Academy All About You Angels Marion Therapeutic Riding Association THACA Believe in Santa Foundation Inc. Kiwanis Club of Ocala Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection Voices for Children of North Central Florida Horse Protection Association of Florida United Way of Marion County Inc.

Special Olympics Florida Inc. Xtreme Soulutions

OTHER

Ocala Civic Theatre - seamstress Volunteers of America - knitting Rainbow Springs Art - art festival support The Cornerstone School - robotics teachers and library support Friends of the Freedom Public Library library support Friends of the Dunnellon Public Library Inc library support Phoenix Programs- smoking cessation support Florida Conference of SDA qualified teachers of STEM subjects Altrusa International Foundation of Ocala Inc. volunteers passionate about literacy Ambleside - classroom assistance Episcopal Children’s Services - classroom readers United Way of Marion County - classroom readers Courtesy of The Pearl Project

Courtesy of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Collaboration in a Time of Need

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ounding rain and winds nearing 105 miles per hour swirled outside, punctuated by the regular crack of thunder as a tornado came dangerously close to Marion County. At the same time, a quieter storm known only to few insiders was also brewing and threatening to reach disaster status.

My cellphone began to buzz and flash with a stream of text messages. My sister Donna was asking for help with a potential crisis. Her coworker, who I’ll call Ally, had revealed that she was an ongoing victim of ongoing domestic abuse and felt her life was in jeopardy. Ally told Donna, “I need you to know that if I don’t show up to work tomorrow I may be dead. I need someone to know so they can call the police.”

My compassionate, swing-into-action sister wanted to help. Ally explained that she had been in an abusive relationship for several years and what had started as mostly psychological abuse had turned physical. Her boyfriend’s violence was increasing in frequency and severity as he became more obsessive and suspicious, demanding to know where she was at all times, alienating her from friends and stalking her at work. With the latest physical encounter fresh in her mind, Ally decided—going against her gut instinct—to reveal this painful truth.

“Can you contact your friend at Ignite for Ocala?” Donna asked me, referring to founder Jeanne Henningsen. “She’s not quite ready to leave. She won’t leave her pets. She will

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by Nick Steele

have to get out when he is not home. But he has threatened her not to leave or take the animals. It’s a bad situation.”

Suddenly I was one of the insiders, caught up in this impending storm of violence. Jeanne quickly connected me with a staff member at Creative Services, the Ocala Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Center. Although she was on vacation and it was after midnight, she texted back almost immediately. “Of course we can help her. Working on getting her a bed.

Sometimes we are full, but I’ll be back with you soon. Is she in danger right now?”

Jeanne explained that their beloved pets are a common reason victims won’t leave their abuser. Between us, we had contacts at various animal welfare groups and after a quick call to VOCAL, there was a plan in place to have them foster her dog and cats with her bird going to a foster home through Florida Parrot Rescue.

Within a week, the storm outside was just a memory, but Ally’s personal storm raged on.

When Ocala Police Department officers arrived on the scene and observed Ally’s freshly bruised and bloodied face, they arrested her abuser on the spot. Ally was transported to the shelter and volunteers from VOCAL picked up her dog and cats. With her pets safely in foster care, Ally settled into the shelter. The staff at Creative Services set about securing financial assistance for her to relocate to a place of her own. She would later find out that her abuser

was compelled by the Attorney General’s Office Victim’s Crime Bureau to pay $1,500 towards her relocation costs.

Before long, Ally found a place near work.

Having left behind most of her belongings, she moved into a nearly bare environment.

“The Sheriff ’s Office told me to get whatever I could,” she recalls. “They said I should leave everything else behind.”

Within days, and after some strategic phone calls, Saint Theresa’s, Operation Shoebox and several members of the community donated furnishings, linens, clothing and a month’s worth of food for Ally.

“It was amazing,” she confides. “All these people and organizations who didn’t even know me but offered to help. Really, I still don’t even know how to process it.”

“What we’ve been doing since 1975 is to pull together all the resources available from the community for that person,” explains Dr. Judy Wilson, the founder and CEO of Creative Services. “Everyone in the community cooperates with everyone else and joins together.”

Some months later, I met Ally at a gathering organized by my sister. “The only reason I am alive today is because of the help I received,” she offers, grasping my hand in hers with a squeeze. “I know for sure that I would not be here otherwise.”

To reach the Creative Service’s Domestic Violence Hotline call: (352) 622-5919 or (352) 622-8495

Where adults with intellectual disabilities are ✔ Strengthening Independence ✔ Expanding Their World ✔ Building Friendships ✔ Growing In Faith

TLC

TRANSITIONS LIFE CENTER

NEW FACILITY Now

Open

NOW ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS 3360 NW GAINESVILLE ROAD • OCALA FL 34475 (352) 877-8999

A Special Place ~ ~ For Special Needs

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Transitions Life Center and Community, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3). A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state. Ref. # CH40461.

Behind these doors

you’ll find not only fine art, but a portal to engage in and support art and culture in Ocala/Marion County.

Established in 2001, with the Horse Fever Public Art project, MCA has since donated over $1.5 to the arts and other charitable organizations in Ocala/Marion County and established a Cultural Endowment fund of $900,000. MCA has supported local arts organizations with over $345,000 through its annual Cultural Grant Awards and established the 4 Friends and Korzenny Arts Educator grants for individual artists and teachers.

We invite you to become a member of MCA and to consider making or donating a gift to support our efforts to champion the arts.

352.369.1500

MCAOcala.com

2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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Estate Planning

I

t is better to give than to receive. This ancient maxim of wisdom continues to ring true in many different facets of modern life. From giving simple gifts at birthdays, graduations and holidays to tithing to a place of worship, making a contribution to a beloved university or donating at a fundraiser for a favorite charity, the act of giving usually results in enhanced satisfaction, well-being and peace of mind for the donor.

Nowhere else on the planet is the act of giving more abundant than in our great country; Americans are a very generous people. Whether in disasters or peace, prosperity or recession, our country is a role model to the world for giving generously to a wide array of worthy causes. This generous spirit enriches our society and is the catalyst for many community and societal benefits.

The thread of American generosity has also been used to weave a beautiful tapestry of vibrant colors of worthy charities. The American donor has created a model education system, an advanced medical world, a comprehensive and diverse faith-based community and a strong and secure safety net for poor and disadvantaged humans and animals.

For whatever the charitable cause as well as the reason for giving, the act of a donation does not need to end at a person’s death. Modern estate planning technicians are readily available to assist the thoughtful donor with the continuation of giving to worthy causes of their choos-

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› NonProfit Business Council

ing in perpetuity. Continuing charitable donations after death can be accomplished by simply adding the intention to one’s will or living trust. It could also be accomplished by an amendment to a life insurance beneficiary or similar contractual right as well as a host of other more complex estate planning devices depending on the type of donation and the desired intent.

Creating the right instrument to capture the donor’s charitable intent is sometimes not the most challenging task. Sometimes the gray area for the grantor is naming the right charity. What if, for example, a sincere donor identifies a favorite charity in an estate planning document, and the charity ceases to exist following the death of the donor? Or perhaps a named charity has changed its operations and no longer functions in the same capacity as it did at the time the donor made the charitable election in the estate plan. In these events, the family, personal representative or the successor trustee may face difficult decisions to comply with the estate plan and navigate the donor’s original intent—while also preserving the assets of the estate.

To combat this dilemma, a quality option is to provide the estate plan with language that authorizes maximum flexibility to future estate administrators to alter the estate donation in the event the charity ceases to exist or no longer operates in a manner consistent with the original intent of the donor. Giving the estate administration flexibility allows for easier

by Tim Dean Partner, Dean Law Firm, LLC decisions in the future if the elected charity changes course following the donor’s death.

Another available tool for ensuring a quality future donation meets the original intent of the donor is to leave an estate gift to an established charitable outreach vehicle like a community foundation. A community foundation team of professionals can meet with a prospective donor during estate planning creation to listen to the concerns of the donor and help understand his or her charitable intent. The community foundation team can work with the estate planning professional to establish the gift language in the estate planning documents to allow the foundation maximum flexibility to achieve the desired charitable intent of the donor. A community foundation can play a key role in obtaining the desired effect of a charitable contribution.

The foundation can ensure that the gift is utilized in a manner consistent with the donor’s intent, but also in a way that provides maximum benefit to the community and the world at large.

The act of giving promotes well-being in the life of a generous donor and fosters a better community for them, their family and their fellow citizens. The art of donation deserves careful attention during life and even after death. Consideration should be given during this planning for the best use of future donations. Often donations are best served with flexibility in the estate planning tools and by careful consideration of utilizing a community foundation in the estate planning strategy.

Our name speaks for itself...

Tax Strategies

Marion County’s patient-centered medical home for all residents.

by Corinne Turcotte, CPA, Senior Manager at James Moore & Co.

W

ith the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, the standard deduction increased to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married couples (which will increase to $12,200 and $24,400, respectively). Many in the nonprofit industry feared that this increase in the standard deduction would have a negative impact on charitable giving.

Unfortunately, this fear seems to have become a reality for some organizations. By most accounts, giving is down over 1% (equal to roughly $3 billion).

However, there are still several ways to use charitable giving as part of a tax planning strategy under the new law.

Qualified Charitable Distributions For donors over age 70 1/2, this is an attractive vehicle for charitable donation. The donor can direct his or her required minimum distribution from the retirement account directly to one or more charities. Because the distribution bypasses the donor, it’s not included in taxable income.

Charitable Bunching There has been much talk recently of this strategy. Rather than give $10,000 a year for five years to a charity, a donor would give $50,000 in one year and none in the other four years. This allows donors to take advantage of contributions above the standard deduction. However, it also makes it difficult for nonprofit organizations to budget cash flow.

Donor Advised Funds (DAVs) These funds have also become an attractive option under the new law. DAVs, like those offered through the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, allow donors to be active participants by recommending grants to nonprofit organizations of their choosing. They can be funded by cash or by appreciated securities—which provides a tax benefit to the donor.

As you can see, there are still a variety of ways to coordinate your tax planning and philanthropic goals. If you have questions regarding such strategies, contact your CPA.

• Pediatric Medical & Dental • Adult Medical & Dental • Maternity • Behavioral Health

Call to schedule an appointment

352.732.6599 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF QUALITY & AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL 2009 - 2019 2020 GUIDE TO CHARITABLE GIVING ›

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