December 2022 Newsletter

A FUN WAY TO SUPPORT THE CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY

Tour of Kitchens Set for February 11, 2023;

Benefits Culinary Program Students

The Coral Gables Community Foundation is excited to announce the 14th Annual Tour of Kitchens. Guests will be inspired as they visit Coral Gables’ most exquisite private residence kitchens, indulge in bites from the City’s top restaurants, spirits samples and shop curated home goods from local merchants.

Proceeds from the Tour of Kitchens benefit the Foundation’s pivotal outreach efforts including the Culinary Arts program and its students at Coral Gables High School.

Where does the Tour start? The Tour begins at 9 a.m. at the Opening Event in the courtyard at the Shops at Merrick Park. Here you will check in to receive your wristband – required to enter each home – and the Tour of Kitchens program booklet – which contains the map and addresses of all the Tour stops. Parking is available in the garage at Merrick Park. Metered parking is also available on the streets surrounding.

LEADING PHILANTHROPY FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

“We were giving in different areas in the community and we said,

well we’re going to channel it through the Foundation.

We win as a family that is giving funds to the Foundation, and

the Foundation wins because they can manage our funds.”

-- Marielena Villamil

The Foundation is privileged to administer the Villamil Family Endowment.

END OF YEAR GIVING

Working with the Coral Gables Community Foundation is a great way to make the most of your year-end giving and take advantage of tax benefits.

Give Online!

Donate with a Credit or Debit Card!

SPREADING HOLIDAY CHEER WHERE ITS NEEDED MOST

The Tradition Continues!

Gables Firefighters and Foundation Board Distribute Christmas Trees

It was an honor to deliver Christmas trees to our neighbors in Golden Gate and MacFarlane. The Foundation thanks the @CoralGablesFire Department for making this possible and past Chair Laura Russo and Board Member Adriana Verdeja for joining us (pictured below).

STUDENTS, SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS NOW

NEW FUNDS AT CORAL GABLES COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Sharing Hope Children’s Therapy Fund

Supports Pediatric Therapy

for Children with Global Language Delay

The Coral Gables Community Foundation is thrilled to welcome new fundholders Sherri and Paul DiMarco and announce their Sharing Hope Children’s Therapy Fund.

The Fund provides scholarships to special needs children with global language delays to help cover the costs of pediatric therapy. 

Donations to the Fund can be made here: https://bit.ly/SharingHopeCTF

In addition to donations, the Fund is now accepting applications for 2023 pediatric speech therapy scholarships. 

The Foundation Welcomed These New Funds to the Coral Gables Community Foundation in 2022:

The Kirk and Lydia Menendez Family Fund (photo at left); The McCarthy Family Charitable Fund; The Dr. Thomas E. Deal Scholarship Fund; The Jeannett Slesnick Community Spirit Scholarship; The Shine Bright Scholarship Fund; Helping Ukrainian Books & Booksellers; The Friends of Gables High Endowment Fund; Friends of Pinecrest Dance Fund; Sharing Hope Children’s Therapy Fund; Tristarr Adult Education Fund; Torre Family Foundation; 1980 Cavaliers Boys State Championship Scholarship Fund in Memory of Team Captain Bruce Hayes;

WELCOME

Chris W. Erickson has joined the Board of the Coral Gables Community Foundation. Welcome Chris!

Chris employs his extensive operating and executive experience to help advise company executives and corporate boards with regard to strategy, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), risk management, and management team selection and mentoring. For the past several years, Chris has worked across a wide range of businesses including health care, pharmaceuticals, personal care, search engine optimization and IT. 

Chris lives in Coral Gables and serves as a guest lecturer on negotiation at the University of Miami School of Business.

HEALTHY HEART SAVE THE DATE

The University of Miami invites

The Coral Gables Community Foundation

and Merrick Society

Enjoy an exclusive evening learning about the latest developments in heart health at UHealth and the Miller School of Medicine.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023

TIME: 6:00 p.m.

PLACE: The Newman Alumni Center - Multipurpose Room,

6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33146

IT'S TIME TO PUT ON YOUR GREEN JEANS

Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books in southern Florida, has joined with others to form Helping Ukrainian Books and Booksellers (HUBB) to support Ukrainian booksellers, editors, printers, warehouse workers, libraries and librarians and others involved in the publishing industry so that literary culture in Ukraine survives. HUBB is a fiscal sponsor fund of the Coral Gables Community Foundation. The group is seeking donations that will be used to make direct grants to booksellers and others in the publishing industry in financial crisis and more. All contributions are tax-deductible.

IT'S TIME TO PUT ON YOUR GREEN JEANS

PARKnership Fund Led Transformation

of Girl Scout Camp Mahachee;

Donors Needed for Phase III

This year has brought an amazing transformation to Girl Scout Camp Mahachee on Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables. In 2023, the transformation will continue as Phase III breaks ground and the principal stakeholders are busy again - planting, trimming and building a camp that will serve new generations of youth. An ambitious pollinator garden full of native species will soon bloom in the shade of this tropical hardwood hammock.

The PARKnership Fund at the Coral Gables Community Foundation, the brainchild of entrepreneur and civic leader Bill Kerdyk, Jr., has led funding that included the Coral Gables Garden Club, Mayor Vince Lago and other benefactors.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF JOHN ALLEN

Foundation Remembers

Former Board Member John Allen

The Coral Gables Community Foundation remembers our friend and former Board Member John R. Allen, Jr., who passed away this week. In addition to being a proud member of the Foundation Board, John served as Chair of the Community Giving Committee and was a member of the Merrick Society.

John served as an Executive Vice President of Home Financing Center for 20+ years, a Past Chair of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and most recently served as the Executive Director of the Coral Gables Museum. We will miss John. John graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High in 1974 and earned a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of Miami Herbert School of Business. We will miss John.

HOLIDAY GIVING GUIDE

Donate Your Vehicle to Help Coral Gables!

Did you know that your unwanted vehicle could light up the holidays? The Coral Gables Community Foundation Vehicle Donation Program accepts cars, trucks, RVs, motorcycles and even boats as an alternative form of giving. We'll use the proceeds raised from your donation to support our grant and scholarship programs.

We handle all the heavy lifting so that you can focus on spending time with your loved ones this holidays season. It's easy!

You will be provided with the proper paperwork and tax receipts for your donation. Simply call or email us to get started! Call 305-446-9670 or email Mary@gablesfoundation.org

MERRICK SOCIETY

The Coral Gables Community Foundation established the Merrick Society

so that visionary people can preserve key philanthropic activities in The City Beautiful. To find out more, please contact President and CEO Mary Snow at 305.446.9670 or via email mary@gablesfoundation.org.

The Coral Gables Community Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

The mission of the Coral Gables Community Foundation is to inspire impactful philanthropy through charitable funds and programs using local knowledge, expertise and trusted relationships.