Neal Communities, Southwest Florida’s premier, private homebuilder, has made donations totaling $4,500 in support of local education-related organizations.
“We’re a big believer in supporting the younger members of the communities in which we work,” said Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities. “Education plays an important role in their future success, so we’re always happy to contribute to local schools and organizations working to educate youth and prepare them for their next steps in life.”
Neal Communities made a $2,500 donation in support of Barbara A. Harvey Elementary School. This new Parrish school opened in fall 2019 and is located within walking distance of Neal Communities’ new Riverfield townhome neighborhood in the North River Ranch master-planned community.
Barbara A. Harvey Elementary School operates under a “house system.” Students from various age groups and backgrounds are given spots in one of the school’s four houses, which help students develop skills in leadership, teamwork and service to community. The school is working to construct an ADA-compliant structure that will allow all students to safely make use of donated playground equipment and will serve as a spot where house colors and flags can be displayed.
Neal Communities made a $1,000 donation to support the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. The nonprofit works to enhance the potential of local students, promote excellence in teaching and inspire innovation in education. Each year, the foundation serves almost 44,000 students and 5,000 instructional staff and support personnel in 53 public schools in Sarasota County.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased educational needs, and the Education Foundation of Sarasota County is responding to support students and teachers during this challenging time. The foundation expanded its EducateSRQ grant program to provide teachers with more funding for classroom resources and opened the LaunchPad4U community center to offer mentoring and college and career advising for high school students.
Neal Communities also made a $1,000 donation to support Take Stock in Children Manatee, the Manatee County chapter of the Florida nonprofit. Working to break the cycle of poverty for low-income, academically qualified students, Take Stock in Children offers mentoring and college-readiness programs as well as college scholarships for Florida students it begins working with as early as middle school.
Take Stock in Children Manatee has awarded more than 715 scholarships to date. The program has a 98% high school graduation rate, and 93% of its students go on to post-secondary education or trade school.
“These three entities are doing great work for local children and teens, especially recently in the midst of some challenging circumstances,” said Pat Neal of Neal Communities. “We’re happy to be able to contribute to their efforts.”
For more information about Barbara A. Harvey Elementary School, visit www.manateeschools.net/harvey. For more information about the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, visit https://edfoundationsrq.org. For more information about Take Stock in Children Manatee, visit https://manateetakestock.org.
