by conscience, work on their expanded vision for economic, social and environmental justice through nonviolent action. The alliance, now 1,000-plus members strong, was recently successful in blocking plans for new oil drilling and fracking in Naples and the Everglades. “When we oppose something, we persevere for a long time,” advise the Dwyers.
BODY, MIND & SPIRIT
Lee county residents Cindy Carfore, Tina Crumpacker and Silvia Casabianca developed businesses around their visions for improving the mind, body and spirit health of residents in their communities, while Jeanne Sweeney developed the Above Board Chamber of Florida to help them do all of that and secure their financial health, too.
AHA! A Holistic Approach Center for Health & Wellness Carfore decided to blend her vision for AHA! A Holistic Approach Center for Health & Wellness with that of Health and Harmony, in Fort Myers. “Mine and the vision that Kandy Love and Suzanne Blaney passed along are synergistic ideas for a space where people could gather for yoga, educational lectures and workshops, as well as alternative or complementary healing modalities,” says Carfore.
TMC Productions Crumpacker’s vision of, “If you build it, a community will form around it,” for personal growth training turned out better than she imagined. The co-founder of TMC Productions, in Fort Myers, acknowledges the closely knit sense of community felt among thousands of TMC graduates. “Our arena is a place where individuals can learn and champion one another’s transformational process. If one of our graduates needs something, we post it on our graduate pages, and generally within 24 hours the request is filled. This kind of support has rippled out into the larger community, where our graduates live and work,” advises Crumpacker.
Eyes Wide Open Center Casabianca’s Eyes Wide Open Center, in Bonita Springs, offers spaces for the healing process to occur. “From a holistic perspective, healing requires support from a community. There is only so much that you can do on your own,” she says. “My vision is that the center would give communities of like-minded people who exist out there waiting for opportunities to get together a space where they could connect. “People come, volunteer, learn, and experience what we offer. Classes, Reiki circles, meditation groups and yoga practice
give individuals the opportunity to form small or large communities which may or may not last. Most importantly, they come together because their needs are complementary and they are energetically attracted to each other.”
Above Board Chamber of Florida Sweeney’s God-moment in 2010 came with a vision. “Within a couple of months, we were bringing people of faith together within the community and in the workplace,” says Sweeney. “Using biblical principles, we impact our members’ lives and businesses through business programs and community outreach by making sure everyone has the necessary tools to grow in today’s economy. We meet in Fort Myers at the Harborside Event Center the second Thursday of each month and on the second Monday of each month at the Hilton Hotel in Naples.”
Salt Cave Andrea Geresdi’s vision for her Salt Cave literally appeared in a dream. “I woke up at 2 a.m. and told my husband, ‘We have to open a salt cave,’” She says. “A week later, we were ordering 20 tons of Himalayan salt and six months afterward, I located the space with rooms for private therapies, yoga classes and lectures. Without hesitation, we used our retirement savings to do something that seven years later has grown and attracted a loving community beyond our wildest imaginings. We particularly appreciate Cathy Blair, whose own community has been coming to hear her crystal bowl concerts since we opened.” Blair, who has been playing crystal bowls for 10 years, envisions that the frequencies of the bowls will uplift humanity to the next-higher octave of love. “This will allow us to coexist peacefully and for everyone to express their divine essence, which is a vibration of truth, beauty and peace,” she says.
House of Gaia An only child, Lulu Carter, founder of House of Gaia, in Naples, felt the need for a community. “As I matured in my homeland of Brazil, I noted that communities formed by people gathering and communicating needs, sharing resources, planning social times and creating guidelines,” says Carter, whose learning center fosters a global perspective in order to promote a more peaceful, creative and conscientious world by educating, connecting and building community through art, culture, global citizenship and community service.
Food & Thought Jameson Johnson, Food & Thought Organic General Store manager in Naples, is honored to carry on founder Frank Oakes’ vision. “Frank wanted this to be far more than a grocery natural awakenings
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