Vanessa Alcantara and I were given the opportunity to participate in the financial sustainability workshop with our following colleagues, Andy Houltberg with the Breakthrough Episcopal Services out of Kansas, Brett Buell with the Gainesville Opportunity Center in North Florida, Lauren Walker with Hope Clubhouse in South Florida, and Richard Lane with Alliance House in Utah. We were able to share the history, governance, current strategies, successes, and challenges related to our community’s financial sustainability.  According to the United Nations, sustainability is defined “as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Therefore, lasting Academy financial sustainability is a team effort involving members, staff, board members, ambassadors, families, community partners, and volunteers. Members and staff contribute through luncheons, telethons, Academy tours, and in-house produced marketing materials. The Board of Directors, Ambassadors, and family members partake in awareness building within their respective communities by sharing their Academy experiences and inviting guests for member tours, demonstrating our open-door policy.  Community partners and volunteers offer their time and expertise enriching the lives of members in any number of our 8 Dimensions of Wellness.       

We were honored to have the following guest speakers Joan Geyer, President of the Academy Board; Stewie Bitterman founding Academy Ambassador; Matt Sauer, Collaboration and Impact Officer of the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation; Jeff Steinwachs CEO of the Steinwachs Family Foundation; Robyn Faucy Co-Founder of Results 1^st; and Al and Polly Guiffrida Academy Family Ambassadors, who shared their roles and experience of nonprofit sustainability.  

We would like to share several quotes from participating colleagues:

This was an eye-opening experience for both Vanessa and me, revealing that financial sustainability is a collective effort and the responsibility does not solely rest with any one person or group. 

As we prepared for our recent “Journey to Wellness” Luncheon, we were tasked with choosing a recipient for the highly coveted Academy Award. This time around, selecting a winner was a no-brainer. Given the wellness theme, and the focus on our newly implemented FIT Initiative (an acronym for Fully in Transformation), the winner of the award was none other than the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. The Barancik Foundation has been instrumental in our pursuit of holistic health, based on the eight dimensions of wellness (physical, emotional, environmental, social, occupational, spiritual, intellectual and financial) by funding a comprehensive program that allows us to tailor activities to our members’ needs, and includes a research component in collaboration with an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida, Dr. Roxann Taormina. 

This is not the first time that the Barancik Foundation has been a transformational influence on the Academy. Back in 2018, they funded an initiative that facilitated the growth of a burgeoning young adult population. The impact was profound as our community was invigorated by the ideas and creative input from our newest members ages 18-29. They continue to keep us on our toes!

The FIT Initiative has been similarly transformative. With members engaged in wellness-based activities every day, the results have been exciting. Through attending financial workshops with our colleagues at Truist Bank, some members have shared that they are able to maintain a budget for the first time in their lives. Those who are joining us at the gym twice a week report better sleep and eating habits, increased mobility and lower blood pressure. A weekly wellness-themed book club has members branching out to explore new health topics that weren’t previously on their radar. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of the Barancik Foundation.

And so, with all the fanfare of that other Academy Award program, member Ian Churchill welcomed an unsuspecting guest to the stage, Barancik Foundation’s Collaboration and Impact Officer, Matt Sauer. He, along with Ev Bosque, Greg Luberecki, and Daqone Tirene were presented with the golden trophy inscribed with our message of deep gratitude. Matt accepted the award on behalf of the foundation and spoke enthusiastically about the longstanding relationship between our organizations, and the satisfaction of seeing us grow and thrive since our inception. As a rule, we are thoughtful to align ourselves with community partners who share our ideals and values, and when it comes to the Barancik Foundation, we’ve found a perfect FIT.

This past week we welcomed colleagues from California, Oklahoma, Washington, Massachusetts, and Miami (Florida) for a 2-day training on “Sustainability for Clubhouse Programs.” This was the first time we opened our doors for this type of training experience. It was exciting to engage our colleagues on roundtable discussions of best practices, challenges, solutions, and innovations. 

We were joined by amazing local guest speakers: Stewie Bitterman shared his thoughts and suggestions on Ambassador programs; John Annis of the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation presented on relationship building with charitable foundations; Jeff Steinwachs (after dropping off some delicious, fresh caught grouper and snapper) stopped in to share strategies on mission, sustainable growth, and outcomes; and Robyn Faucy presented on Results 1^st. It was truly an all-star cast of guest speakers.

Our guests included Linn Blohm and Melanie Reese of Thunderbird Clubhouse (OK), Rachel Riani and Luke Knowles of Genesis Club (MA), Bernadette Jacobs of Hero House NW (WA), Tamara Hunter and Lisa Breton of Mental Health Connections (CA), and Debra Webb, Amy McClellan, and Lalita Airan of Key Clubhouse (Miami). 

Academy members and staff enjoyed the experience of hosting our colleagues. Member and Academy board member Paul Hennekes joined William McKeever as co-facilitator of the workshop. Maureen Flaig provided our guests with a thorough tour, and our Culinary Team served a delicious breakfast and lunch each day. Several Academy board members and Ambassadors joined colleagues for an amazing BBQ on Tuesday night, all prepared by our Culinary Team. We had so much fun hosting this smart, fun, and engaging group of colleagues! This collaborative workshop provided as much benefit to our Academy community as it did to our guests. We look forward to more opportunities like this in the future.

From an Olympic size swimming pool, basketball court, and every weight machine imaginable, Esporta has something for everyone. For our first several months, we have personal trainers working with us, showing us the literal and figurative ropes, so that those less familiar with the gym environment can learn how to use the equipment safely. They modify our individual experiences to accommodate injuries and fitness levels, which is not to say that they take it easy on us. It’s a workout!

This is an opportunity to flex more than just our biceps and glutes. We are bonding with one another in a different way than when we work side-by-side at the Academy. We are rooting for each other a little more raucously, laughing a little louder, and hooting at each red-faced, breathless triumph. The sweaty ride back to the Academy feels a little like a victory lap, our endorphins blazing.

This feels like the beginning of something big, and we are the pioneers at the forefront. We are each other’s accountability partners on this new frontier at the Academy, and together we are getting FIT: Fully in Transformation!

We begin our study with an in-depth survey that seeks to measure our baseline in all eight dimensions. The information is all self-reported, and anonymous. All members and staff, regardless of their interest in participating in the voluntary study, are encouraged to complete the survey. From this data, aggregate scores will illustrate our starting point as a community.

Expect to see wellness activities significantly expand. We now have a gym membership with Esporta, and will be transporting members to work out weekly. Truist Bank is delivering a curriculum of financial workshops, covering  budgeting, credit, investing and more. Everything from recycling and clutter ( environmental) to career inventories (occupational), to Wim Hof breathing with our neighbors at Kenshō Studio (emotional) will be available to members. Participation in the study is voluntary and members and staff may choose the activities that are of interest to them.

With guidance from Research Assistant Professor, Dr. Roxann Taormina of USF, we are excited to begin this journey toward more broad-based wellness goals. Along the way, measurable outcomes will allow us to identify the efficacy of specific activities in our pursuit of living well. Stay tuned and watch us thrive!

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation understands the importance of connection in the rehabilitation process. Two years ago, they provided us with a generous grant to reach out to underserved populations, including minorities and young adults. In reaching those who have been historically underserved, we are not just strengthening those communities but our own as well. Through this initiative, led by staff members Jeffrey Jean and Idanes Paredes, we have expanded our reach across Manatee and Sarasota counties, grown a more diverse membership, and provided life-changing opportunities through skill-building, employment and connection.

Now, at the culmination of our 2-year grant, we celebrate our success and give profound thanks to Barancik Foundation. The Academy is a stronger, more diverse, and far more inspiring community because of their support. Initiatives that are now in place will continue to advance us far into the future.

The Academy Multimedia Team created a wonderful video to thank the Barancik Foundation. Watch it at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZpZZxTOmA4

The telethon served a dual purpose as a fundraiser. We are pleased to report that our community came through for us in a way that is deeply moving. Thanks to a 1:1 match gift from the Steinwachs Family Foundation, we exceeded our goal with an event total of $34,000, with over 500 viewers tuning in and over 90 donors contributing.

There are so many people to thank for the success of this event; The Steinwachs Family Foundation for their 1:1 match and continued generosity to our mission. We are grateful to the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation for spearheading our Young Adults initiative. Were it not for our cohesive group of young minds, we would have been challenged to pull off the multimedia and technical aspects of this event. We thank Clubhouse International for supporting and promoting our efforts to the worldwide Clubhouse community. And most of all, we are indebted to our Academy members and their families, for their ongoing support, and for the trust that they place in us every day. They are the reason we do what we do.

If you missed it, rest assured that the telethon in its entirety is available for viewing at AcademySRQ.org/live. And know that it is never to late to make a charitable donation to the Academy. We invite you to become part of the solution.