Suzy Brenner: Paradise Center seeks funds for new home

There are many realities to embrace when living in the Sarasota area: its highly seasonal population requires some creative driving, beautiful beaches, wonderful restaurants, the arts, just to name a few.

On Longboat Key, we live in a paradise, but living on a barrier island is not without its challenges. The Paradise Center is Longboat Key’s community center dedicated to helping its residents — as well as non-residents — live fuller lives.

The mission of The Paradise Center is to enhance the quality of life for local seniors. We do that by offering a variety of year-round classes, workshops, seminars and activities. Humans are social creatures, and we need the support of our community to ensure that we can enjoy our lives, especially as we deal with the inevitable challenges that arise with aging.

One of the greatest challenges: isolation. Loneliness has become an absolute epidemic among seniors.

The Paradise Center was created as the Aging in Paradise Resource Center — an outreach program of the Longboat Island Chapel. We are now independent and seeking a new home on Longboat Key where we can provide more services to our residents and visitors. We have a grand vision for developing a Wellness Center, along with our partner, the Longboat Key Center for Healthy Living. Our goal is to have one building, centrally located on the Key, which provides a home for a variety of medical services, social services and an adult daycare facility to meet the needs of our population.

We pride ourselves on offering a warm, welcoming environment … to take a yoga, meditation, Pilates or Zumba class, learn how to play mah jongg, use your smartphone, take a free memory screening … or to simply sit, have a cup of tea with us and chat. In 2017, we hosted 297 opportunities for community members to learn something new, strengthen the body and mind or simply enjoy the company of others.

We are also a place where people can volunteer — have a purpose outside of oneself, which is another vital piece of aging well. With your support, we can continue to do this well into the future. But we need your help to keep us growing.

You can make a difference from noon May 1 to noon May 2 during the 2018 Giving Challenge presented by the Community  Foundation of Sarasota County.

Detailed information about hundreds of area non-profit organizations is available through foundation’s Giving Partner Profile. You don’t have to do your own research to make sure your funds are well spent. In addition, the Patterson Foundation has pledged to match all donations up to $100. If you are reading this, chances are you have chosen to call Longboat Key home, as I have, or you enjoy spending time here enough to want to know what’s going on locally. We have a terrific opportunity to support the only Giving Partner organization operating on Longboat Key.

Research the 600-plus organizations and make your online donation at www.thegivingpartnerchallenge.org. The last Giving Challenge (in September 2016) raised more than $13 million. Mark your calendar. And think about all the good we can do together.

Suzy Brenner is executive director of the Paradise Center; 941-383-6493; ParadiseCenter.org.