Heartening to find community’s delightful ways

At a time when divisions in our country are being fanned, it is heartening to see how our community is finding ways to delight us all.

For the first time I celebrated New Year’s Day with a group of casual acquaintances who decided to stroll together around the 487-acre preserve at Robinson Preserve, located in Northwest Bradenton. The group included singles, couples, a child and several dogs; my husband and I were the elders. What was heartening was how we shared the magic of nature and that connected us, which led to fascinating conversations.

Watching the white pelicans fly in unison made me wonder why humans have so much trouble soaring together. Thanks to Manatee County, we can all enjoy beauty of nature and people in healthful adventure! Consider organizing a stroll there with folks you have been meaning to link up with. How thrilling that a 150-acre expansion to the park is underway and will include an environmental and educational center!

From the inspiration of nature, I also benefited from the wise counsel of Hal Williams speaking to donors at the Manatee Community Foundation (MCF). Williams, author of “Outcome Funding,” is a renowned organizational consultant who made incredible sense. He spoke about how to become strategic investors instead of simply do-good funders. Here were the insightful questions he suggested asking before investing in a charity:

With your dollars,

▪ What are you buying?

▪ What are the chances you will get it?

▪ Is this best use of your money?

Because of Hal and MCF, we donors can be wiser investors in the charitable gifts we give now. Plus, as donors, we can use Hal’s guidelines when we make legacy gifts, assuring that our dollars will truly make an ongoing, measurable difference. Fortunately, Hal, a part-time Bradenton resident, is also working with other local not-for profits to help them self-assess their efforts.

Recently, my husband and I attended the Florida Veterans for Common Sense banquet at which they celebrated Thomas Paine’s 280th birthday. The group supports needy veterans through veteran court programs. Among its other accomplishments, it cosponsored the Homeless Veterans Stand Down in Sarasota and hosted the first statewide Florida Women’s Veterans Conference. Now it is launching an agro-therapy program for veterans.

In 2011 Judge Lee Haworth received the group’s first annual Thomas Paine Award. This year ‘s recipient was Nancy Parrish, founder and CEO of Protect our Defenders Foundation, which has blazed efforts to support victims of sexual assault in the military. This is a growing issue for male and female veterans. Over 1 million visits annually occur at the VA for military sexual trauma. How proud I was that this local group cares enough to support veterans who have so bravely defended us, but who now need our support and protection.

It was a month of discovery for me!

Please share what’s good in our community, along with any agriculture land and skills you have to offer the veteran’s group. sharegoodstories@gmail.com.

This story was originally published February 8, 2017 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Heartening to find community’s delightful ways."