WORDS: Shannon Evans
When families step into Feld Entertainment Studios on a special December day, they walk straight into a winter wonderland. A towering Christmas tree glimmers in the center of the stadium-sized room, next to a forest of evergreens. A working train, big enough to ride, clickety-clacks around the scene. Volunteer elves pass out snacks and smiles. And then Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive, not by sleigh, but atop …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Here’s a sobering statistic: One in 10 children in Florida will experience the death of a parent or sibling before turning 18.
That’s 10 kids out of every hundred staring at an empty seat at the dinner table. That’s two kids in every classroom who carry questions with no easy answers. But thanks to the compassionate work of The Mark Wandall Foundation, grieving children …
WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
“I remember it like it was yesterday.”
This is the quote I heard again and again when I spoke to several staff and attendees who were at LECOM Field on February 21, 2023. That day, the Pittsburgh Pirates were hosting an event for the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. Among the attendees was avid sports fan Ernie Withers, who was in the outfield catching balls for …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
What if foster care wasn’t just about providing a bed, but building a future?
Decades ago, Graci McGillicuddy asked that question as she worked with children in Florida’s child welfare system. Kids shuffled between homes, struggling with untreated trauma and a lack of stability. Graci saw they needed more than temporary solutions. What if they had a place where they could heal, grow, and …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
MAIN PHOTO: Katelyn Disbro
Hope. A small word with life-changing power—and it’s what Tim Pedon has dedicated his life to sharing. As a Program Specialist at Volunteers of America (VOA) Florida, Tim helps others discover the hope that turned his life around.
In the mid-1990s, Tim walked a road of significant mental health challenges. Feeling unmoored and in need of stability, he turned to VOA, which helped …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Think about your life: every success you’ve celebrated, every hurdle you’ve overcome. Chances are, you only got there because someone helped you—a teacher, mentor, parent, or friend. For hundreds of students across Florida, Take Stock in Children provides that same critical support. This life-changing program offers scholarships to students facing economic hardships and matches them with mentors who encourage, guide, and inspire them to …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Margaret J. Wheatley once said, “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” In the heart of Manatee County, the Bradenton Kiwanis Club has harnessed this power for change, weaving a legacy of care and connection for over a century. And among all the causes this service club cares about, children and families rank high.
The word …
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 …
WORDS & PHOTO: Wendy Dewhurst
Nine years ago, a group of three very influential and impactful organizations whose mission is to support early learning came together with the purpose of pursuing initiatives that would enrich the community, prioritizing collaboration while strengthening their individual agencies.
“This all began with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Program,” said Shela Halpin with the School District of Manatee County (SDMC). “We wanted to form a …
WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
We see the names Bishop and Parker on buildings throughout Manatee County, but who were Edward and Lillian Bishop and Mary Parker? How did they help to shape our community? What role does the Bishop Parker Foundation have in Manatee and Sarasota County today?
The first thing I found interesting was that they didn’t go by Edward and Lillian. Everyone knew them as Ned and …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Between work, school, dinner, and family time, it can be difficult to find the time in your family’s busy schedule to fit in sports activities for young ones. However, HappyFeet Tampa Bay tries to combat this common problem with this solution: weekly preschool programs.
Offering weekly classes to over 220 preschools and early learning centers throughout the greater Tampa Bay area, the HappyFeet curriculum doesn’t …
WORDS: Sheri Roca
PICTURES: Wendy Dewhurst
When avid golfer and Waterlefe Golf and River Club member Bob Buchanan was looking for an avenue to help local kids after moving to Manatee County, he realized the community was lacking a program that would introduce the underserved and minority youth to the game of golf.
There are many occasions for kids to learn how to play basketball, football, soccer, baseball, and even …
