WORDS: Shannon Evans

In the Outpatient Pediatric Therapy clinic of Manatee Memorial Hospital (MMH), you’ll see children at play. Board games and puzzles, climbing frames and swings—the kids are in their element. But they’re also hard at work. 

“Therapy is play, because that’s how children learn,” says Director Elizabeth “Liz” Brown, M.S., CCC-SLP. “It’s their job. Adults come to work and type on a computer; kids go to work and …

WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Katelyn Disbro

On a quiet street in Bradenton Beach, among stately homes and rental cottages bathed in bright pastels, one property is not like the others. That’s because many of its residents wear fur, feathers, shells, and even scales. Here, Wildlife Inc. Education and Rehabilitation Center preserves and protects native wildlife, with its ultimate goal of releasing native species back into the wild. 

Founded in 1988 …

WORDS: Shannon Evans
MAIN PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst 

“A college education will adversely affect a woman’s health and fertility.” 

Wait. What? 

In the late 1900s, women pursuing higher education battled against widely circulated myths like the one above. For women who had obtained a college degree, opportunities were scarce. But in 1881, a group of women rolled up their sleeves and decided change would begin with them. 

It started with …

WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst 

Since 1980, the mission of HOPE Family Services has been to promote safety, strength, and well-being for those affected by domestic violence in Manatee County. 

HOPE Family Services CEO Char Young started as a part-time employee handling their new computer and accounting systems 25 years ago. Soon after, the Business Director left, and Char moved into a full-time job, which then led to a CFO …