The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected The Naples Players as the Business of the Month for June 2019.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that creates a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, the director of membership at The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Bryce Alexander, executive director, and Derek Perry, director of development with a commemorative plaque on June 11, 2019 at the County Commission meeting.

Founded in 1953, The Naples Players provide high-quality arts access to every member of the Southwest Florida community. Their robust arts education program boasts over 1,000 students who participate in meaningful artistic programming and the organization has awarded over $60,000 in scholarships to local students in the past year.
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Additionally, The Naples Players continues to make strides serving individuals with disabilities, offering Theatre therapy programming designed and taught by professional therapists and teachers.

As a hub for Collier County, The Naples Players works directly with dozens of nonprofit organizations and community groups to advance their missions and provide a safe and welcoming space for their nuanced programming. The organization is proud to maintain its extraordinary place in the community as the torchbearer for arts involvement and engagement in Southwest Florida.
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To learn more about The Naples Players visit www.naplesplayers.org

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected Humane Society Naples as the Business of the Month for April 2019.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that creates a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, director of membership at The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Sarah Baeckler Davis, executive director, with a commemorative plaque at the April 9, 2019 County Commission meeting.

Established in 1906, the mission of Humane Society Naples is to shelter animals in times of need, locate life-long homes and promote responsible pet ownership through education, legislation and sterilization. In 2010 they celebrated the grand opening of a $4.5 million state-of-the-art shelter and adoption center. In 2018, the Humane Society celebrated its 100,000th adoption and this year, the organization plans to launch a new satellite adoption center in North Naples and a mobile veterinary clinic serving the entire community.

Humane Society Naples also provides numerous outreach programs at schools and businesses to promote responsible pet ownership, including pet sterilization and the veterinary clinic offers a low or no-cost pet sterilization for low-income pet owners.

​This year the organization’s goal is to provide rescue, shelter, and adoption services to more than 3,000 orphaned pets in the community. The Humane Society partners with animal control agencies to review monthly statistics to determine how to work together to reduce unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable pets in Southwest Florida.

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida as the Business of the Month for March 2019.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that creates a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, director of membership at The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Richard LeBer, president & CEO, with a commemorative plaque at the Mar. 12, 2019 County Commission meeting.

Harry Chapin Food Bank of SWFL leads Collier County in the fight to end hunger. Since 2013, Harry Chapin Food Bank has grown food distribution in Collier County to 5.1 million pounds by providing more fresh, nutritious food through partnerships with other nonprofit agencies and the food bank’s mobile pantry program.

In 2018, they distributed 24 million pounds of food and other grocery items, including 6.4 million pounds of fresh produce, throughout Southwest Florida. Valued at $41.5 million, this food equals about 20 million meals for people in need. In Collier County, they distributed 5.1 million pounds of food.

​Last year the food bank expanded their distribution by 90 percent and opened a larger 13,500 sq. ft warehouse to serve as a distribution and meeting center. The Collier County Center gives the capacity to supply more fresh produce and other items to more than 30 partner agencies in Collier County. The Center has expanded volunteer opportunities and offers space to collaborate and partner with other organizations.​

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected Friends of Rookery Bay as the Business of the Month for February 2019.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

​The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, the director of membership at The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Athan Barkoukis, executive director, with a commemorative plaque at the Feb. 12, 2019 at the County Commission meeting.

Founded in 1987, Friends of Rookery Bay connects people to Southwest Florida’s dynamic coastal environment in support of the 110,000-acre Rookery Bay Research Reserve, one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America.
Today, Friends of Rookery Bay play an instrumental role working directly with the Research Reserve staff to help ensure that enough resources continue to be available to help accomplish the Reserve's important mission.

More than 1,000 Friends’ members from the Naples and Marco Island communities serve as trained volunteers, assisting staff with everything from sea turtle monitoring and shark research in the Ten Thousand Islands, to teaching young students about estuaries in the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, as well as aiding the Reserve’s Coastal Training Program providing science-based education to individuals who make professional decisions that affect our coastal resources.

Members also act as a critical voice at the local, state and federal level advocating on behalf of Rookery Bay Research Reserve and the nationwide 29-Reserve system.  In 2017 and 2018, the federal budget zeroed out funding to the entire Reserve system, with dire implications locally.  Letters and calls of support from members led to the re-instatement of federal funding necessary for the Reserve to continue its important work managing the reserve.

​Recent additions to leadership at the board and staff level, along with expanded strategic partnerships and a growing membership, ensure the Friends of Rookery Bay will play a vital role supporting Collier County and the Reserve, in 2019 and beyond.  

NAPLES, FL (Jan. 11, 2019) – The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected Waterside Shops as the Business of the Month for January 2019.
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Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, the director of membership at The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Anne Fleming, general manager, with a commemorative plaque at the Jan. 8, 2019 County Commission meeting.

Founded in 1992, Waterside Shops is the Gulf Coast's premier shopping and dining destination where the finest names in luxury retail and fashionable lifestyle stores are set amid a lush landscape of 30,000 tropical plants and flowering shrubs, a 550-foot-long, hand-laid rock wall punctuated by cascading water, and dramatic lightning features.
Waterside has helped raise over $300,000 annually for local nonprofits that support children, education, healthcare, and the arts including Golisano Children’s Museum, Naples Children & Education Foundation, Guadalupe Center, Baby Basics, Artis – Naples, STARability Foundation, AVOW Hospice, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and Champions for Learning.

Most recently, Waterside donated $25,000 to the Women’s Foundation of Collier County and $20,000 to United Way through their 25th Anniversary Shopping Days – their largest donations to date.
Each year, Waterside hosts a student fashion show featuring student models dressed head-to-toe in the latest fashions. Through this event, Waterside donates over $40,000 annually to The Community School of Naples Financial Aid Program.

Waterside Shops also hosts a Halloween celebration that benefits Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples and their efforts to support children now and into the future. Last year, they donated over $5,000 to the Children’s Museum. 
Additionally, the coins in the fountains at Waterside are donated to alternating charities. These coins have benefited Baby Basics, The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Avow Hospice, and many others. $10,000 is donated annually as a result of Coins for a Cause.

NAPLES, FL (Dec. 18, 2018) – The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected Grace Place for Children and Families as the Business of the Month for December 2018.
Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, the director of membership at The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Tim Ferguson, CEO, with a commemorative plaque at the Dec. 11, 2018 County Commission meeting.
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Grace Place for Children and Families is a non-profit educational agency serving children and families identified as at-risk in the Golden Gate community. Comprehensive family literacy, early childhood education, out of school and summer programs, adult education and a weekly food pantry are the core educational and support services designed and delivered to break the cycle of poverty for children and families through education in Golden Gate.

Grace Place for Children and Families provides comprehensive programming to over 950 students and 700 families residing in the Golden Gate community. Education programs include early childhood education, school-age and adult education. English language learning, financial literacy and citizenship classes support the educational needs of adults in Collier County. The weekly Food Pantry program provides essential supplemental food to needy families in Collier County.

The organization has over 500 volunteers from the community supporting all the educational and support services programs provided through Grace Place. Additionally, Grace Place collaborates with multiple organizations in Collier County, the State of Florida and at the national level providing services and support to children and families identified as at-risk residing in Collier County.

NAPLES, FL (Nov 13, 2018) – The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected Sanchez-Casal Florida Club & Tennis Academy as the Business of the Month for November 2018.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

Sanchez-Casal Florida Club & Tennis Academy has 45 employees and 60 full-time students from 15 different countries who live, study and train on site. The tennis club has 300 annual family members.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, director of membership, Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Pavel Slozil and Rogelio De Haro of Sanchez-Casal, Florida Club & Tennis Academy, with a commemorative plaque at the Nov 13, 2018 County Commission meeting.
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Over 4,000 active tennis players from all around the world visit the tennis club each year to play more than 50 tournaments and train with the professionals. The organization hosts the Emilio Sanchez Special Olympics Tennis & Music featuring Special Olympics tennis players from the state of Florida. Sanchez-Casal also hosts the Casper Tour, a tennis series played in 7 different US cities and internationally. Proceeds from the tour benefit children with diabetes and the Emilio Sanchez Vicario Foundation.

NAPLES, FL (October 12, 2018) – The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected The Immokalee Foundation as the Business of the Month for October 2018.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

Since its inception in 1991, The Immokalee Foundation's mission has been building pathways to success for the children of Immokalee by emphasizing education, vocation and life skills.  The Immokalee Foundation now serves approximately 1,300 Immokalee students each year and matches area volunteers as mentors to its students. 
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The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, director of membership, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Noemi Perez, executive director, Immokalee Foundation, with a commemorative plaque at the October 9, 2018 County Commission meeting.

Community Enhancement Activities
The Immokalee Foundation annually commits more than $4,000,000 into the Immokalee community to enhance educational opportunities for the students residing therein. These funds also provide post-secondary scholarships to these students to help eliminate the financial barrier of a college or vocational education, enabling them to gain professional employment upon graduation.

An integral part of accomplishing The Immokalee Foundation’s mission is building bridges between residents of Naples and the children and families of Immokalee.  The Immokalee Foundation’s and its students’ successes are intertwined with the generosity of our volunteers and benefactors from Naples. Without the support of the greater Naples community, the programming of The Immokalee Foundation would not be possible. In fact, most of the foundation’s 140 volunteers who serve as mentors are from Naples. This is an extremely important volunteer function because Take Stock in Children scholarships, administered by The Immokalee Foundation, can only be awarded to students who are matched with a mentor.  Through the program 100 percent of its students graduate from high school and enroll in college or a vocational program. Of those students, 84 percent graduate from a post-secondary program.
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Thanks to The Immokalee Foundation’s programs, graduates become skilled and qualified professionals, the majority of whom return to serve as part of the workforce in Collier County.

NAPLES, FL (September 25 2018) – The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected Driftwood Garden Center & Florist as the Business of the Month for September 2018.
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Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, Director of Membership, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce presented Craig Hazelett, his wife and parents, with a commemorative plaque at the September 11, 2018 County Commission meeting.

Driftwood spans two acres, offering thousands of interior and outdoor plants. In addition to plants, they offer a large selection of pottery and other resources for gardening.
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The stores encompass a full-service Nursery, water gardening center and florist.  Driftwood also has professional landscape designers on staff to create custom home or commercial landscape designs.

NAPLES, FL – The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected PANIRA Healthcare Clinic, Inc. as the Business of the Month for July 2018.
 
Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.
 
The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, membership engagement specialist, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce presented Owner and Founder Lawrence Egger and Development & Marketing Director Rachel Henderson with a commemorative plaque at the July 10, 2018 County Commission meeting.
 
PANIRA Healthcare Clinic, located in East Naples, is working on closing the access gap and promoting health equality amongst all including our most needy.  Founded in 2015 by husband and wife team, Lawrence and Geneve Egger, the clinic’s mission is to provide quality healthcare and equal access to anyone in the community, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, income, education, geographic location, disability, or sexual orientation in a manner that is comprehensive, current, and culturally appropriate.
 
PANIRA provides primary care, express care, medical screenings, wellness exams and walk-in services to all ages. Their organization makes a special effort to help patients from all cultural backgrounds feel accepted, welcomed, respected, and valued in the clinic. From its inception, PANIRA began promoting affordable healthcare through a self-pay, sliding fee scale for uninsured working and unemployed individuals. They also accept insurances.
 
Personal Community Enhancement Activities
PANIRA Healthcare Clinic constantly treats patients with uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes who are unable to pay for lab or diagnostic testing along with uninsured children or adults with acute healthcare needs. The clinic’s providers also treat patients with complex medical conditions and are working on building a broader referral network of specialists to address special medical needs. They are also working on offering specialty services during a second free clinic day each month.
 
Since January 2017, PANIRA began providing a monthly free clinic on the second Wednesday of each month. This free clinic provides access to healthcare for patients of all ages who are uninsured and who cannot afford the fees charged by the clinic. In 2016, PANIRA Healthcare Clinic treated 1,568 patients and in 2017, they more than doubled the number of patients treated to 3,976. Providing this care is especially important to the founders, as Geneve experienced the hardships and struggle to navigate the healthcare system in Collier County when she was unemployed and uninsured.