The Arc Gateway The Arc Gateway SHRED WORKS Grant Year: 2021 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $101,820 | Grant Status: Complete The Arc Gateway has been opening doors for people with developmental disabilities since 1954, but the parents who made Arc what it is today actually began their work back in 1947. A small, dedicated group of local parents wanted their children to have every opportunity to learn and grow, so they opened a one-room schoolhouse. Programs for children continued to expand as experts realized that early intervention was critical to development in children with or at risk of developmental delays. In 1974, the Infant Stimulation Program began; and in 1977, the Pearl Nelson Center became the Pearl Nelson Preschool, serving children ages two to five. Aging parents began to see a need for residential support programs. As a result, The Arc Gateway's first group home, the Women's...

Bream Fishermen Association and PYC Satori Foundation Taking the Coast to the Kids - Improving our Waterways through Science & Recreation Grant Year: 2021 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $101,820 | Grant Status: In Progress The Bream Fishermen Association (BFA) is a well-known and highly respected organization that has assisted the city, county, state, and region as environmental stewards in protecting northwest Florida and south Alabama waters for over 40 years. Loosely organized in the mid 1960s by local fishermen who were concerned about the deterioration of regional water quality conditions, the BFA was officially chartered as a nonprofit organization in January 1970, the same year that the United States Environmental Protection Agency was created as an outgrowth of the burgeoning environmental movement. The BFA is dedicated to promoting environmental conservation and recreational opportunities for fishermen, hunters, campers and related outdoorsmen. The BFA supports water quality sampling; watershed...

Veterans Memorial Park Foundation of Pensacola, Inc. Accommodating Veterans Memorial Park Events Grant Year: 2020 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $106,000 | Grant Status: Completed The Veterans Memorial Park began with a vision of local vets after a visit to the Pensacola area by the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall more than 27 years ago. The mission of the Veterans Memorial Park Foundation is to collaborate with the City of Pensacola and work as Advocate, Provider, Steward and Protector for the Park. Areas of support include assisting the City in developing and advancing a unifying theme in the development of the park; providing ongoing maintenance, preservation, improvement and development of the Park; educating the community about the Park’s mission and holding the sacrifice of those memorialized there as worthy of their gratitude, respect and emulation; and promoting the incorporation of the Park into the fabric and culture of...

Keep Santa Rosa Beautiful, Inc. Panhandle Butterfly House & Nature Center Grant Year: 2020 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $106,000 | Grant Status: In Progress Keep Santa Rosa Beautiful, Inc. is the official affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Florida Beautiful. Incorporated by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce in 1994, the organization operated as Santa Rosa Clean Community System, Inc. until 2016 when the name was changed to Keep Santa Rosa Beautiful (KSRB). KSRB is dedicated to its mission of protecting and enhancing the environment through awareness, education, and action. KSRB’s programs “Drive it Home,” “Adopt-A-Spot,” and “Adopt-A-Highway” promote litter clean-ups for the Santa Rosa County area. Other programs include Rivers and Beach Clean-up and Recycle/Reuse. The organization provides a community garden, and for 21 years has operated the Panhandle Butterfly House. Originally located in Navarre, the Panhandle Butterfly House averaged about 14,000 visitors...

Splash Cats, Inc. Just Keep Swimming Grant Year: 2019 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $106,000 | Grant Status: Completed Splash Cats, Inc. was formed in 2004 as a nonprofit 501(c)3 to support Washington High School (WHS) Swim and Dive team, to promote the sport and lessen the financial burden on the swim and dive families and the already limited budget of the Aquatic Center. The organization’s mission is to increase the health, water safety, and the aquatic education of Escambia County students, employees, and community members. Programs supported by Splash Cats, Inc. include making the Washington Aquatic Center open to 1,800 WHS students during the school day; offering a free elementary swim and dive program to over 19,000 elementary school students in 33 local elementary schools; a middle school swim and dive program open to over 9,000 middle school students in 11 local middle schools; a high school...

Children's Home Society of Florida, Inc. Keeping Families on the Right Track Grant Year: 2019 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $106,000 | Grant Status: Completed Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) is one of Florida’s oldest private not-for-profit organizations providing services to children and families. Since CHS was established in 1902 to find families for orphans, the needs of children and families have grown and evolved. Since 1972, services have expanded to meet the new challenges faced by children and families every day. CHS delivers a unique spectrum of social services designed to protect children at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and/or abandonment; to strengthen and stabilize families; to help families break the cycle of abuse and neglect; and to find safe, loving homes for children. The array of services offered by CHS locally includes family and individual counseling, child abuse prevention and intervention services, home-based services, Community...

 Veterans Memorial Park Foundation of Pensacola, INC.  Veterans Memorials Lighting Grant Year: 2018 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $100,300 | Grant Status: Completed The mission of the Veterans Memorial Park Foundation (the Foundation) is to collaborate with the City of Pensacola and work as Advocate, Provider, Steward and Protector for the Park. The Park exists to honor the sacrifice of all those killed in service of their country to all the residents of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, as well as visitors to our area. Areas of support provided by the Foundation include but are not limited to assisting the City in developing and advancing a unifying theme, providing for the ongoing maintenance, preservation, and improvement of the Park, educating the community about the Park and its mission and holding the sacrifice of those memorialized there as worthy of their gratitude, respect and emulation. Additionally, the Foundation promotes...

Miracle League of Santa Rosa County Miracle Field of Dreams Grant Year: 2018 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $100,300 | Grant Status: Completed The Miracle League of Santa Rosa County (Miracle League) was formed in July 2017 for charitable purposes to provide a safe and organized baseball league for the mentally and physically challenged members of the community, to promote community support and sponsorship, and to construct and maintain special facilities that meet the unique needs of Miracle League players and their families. This models the national Miracle League motto: “Every Child Deserves a Chance to Play Baseball”. The all-volunteer board is comprised of many of the organizers of the extremely successful Night to Shine, which provides an unforgettable prom night experience for people with special needs. Additionally, there are currently 450 background-checked volunteers and Miracle League is actively recruiting more. The current focus of Miracle League is...

Greater Pensacola Junior Golf Association, Inc. dba The First Tee of Northwest Florida Golf and Life Skills Training Facility Grant Year: 2016 | Focus Area: Environment, Recreation & Preservation | Grant Amount: $108,200 | Grant Status: Completed Originally founded in 1990 as the Greater Pensacola Junior Golf Association (GPJGA) in order to operate a Junior Golf Summer Tour in Northwest Florida, the organization gained its 501(c)(3) status 1995. In December 2003, GPJGA was granted chapter status in The First Tee, a national organization, and began doing business as The First Tee of Northwest Florida (First Tee). As of 2016, First Tee is one of over 175 Chapters operating over 850 Program Sites in all 50 States and 11 countries internationally. The mission of The First Tee of Northwest Florida is to positively impact the lives of young people by promoting character development and life-enhancing values through the First Tee's "Life Skills Learning Experience"...