Summer Camp amid COVID 19 means small groups, mask-wearing, temperature checks, frequent hand-washing, and lots of sanitizers and disinfectants. Providing a safe place for our Heights kids to thrive and learn has taken on a new meaning during this time.

I am extremely grateful for the kindness and generosity so many have shown to us. You make it possible to do our work in Harlem Heights; keeping families sheltered and fed, and kids safe and learning.

Summer School/Camp

“Can we have school this summer?” Who would imagine Kevin, or any elementary student, asking to have school in the middle of summer vacation?
• The Center currently has 57 elementary students with us from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
• Because so many students had difficulty maintaining their learning in the last 9 weeks of the school year, students spend several hours every day working on their reading and math skills in small groups.
• Since it is summer vacation, the kids practice their skills in fun ways. For example, one group will be putting on a play – having spent several weeks practicing their reading and comprehension skills learning their lines.
• Need to work on your reading and writing skills? Join the kids in The Writing Club who are busy at work putting together their collection of COVID stories, aka When We Had to Do School At Home.
• When the kids aren’t working on strengthening their academic skills they are enjoying art, technology and sports activities.

Thanks to you, The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center continues to respond to meet the needs of families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood during the COVID-19 crisis.

Food Distribution programs:

The Heights Center partnered with 4 organizations, Farm Share USA, Community Cooperative, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and the We Have Your Back program to provide groceries and meals to Harlem Heights Residents.

• Farm Share USA, in coordination with Senator Benacquisto’s office, hosted a food distribution event that provided fresh produce to approximately 450 families on April 16, 2020.
• Community Cooperative’s Mobile Food Pantry facilitated 6 food distribution events at the Center between March 2020 and May 2020.
• Westminster Presbyterian Church donated and helped to distribute shelf stable groceries to families every Friday beginning in mid-May through June.
• The We Have Your Back Program partnered with local restaurants to provide Heights families with hot meals every Tuesday and Friday in May.
• Since March we have provided more than 2800 meals and nearly 500 bags of groceries.

Additionally:

• Several of you provided funding to help Heights families with rent, childcare, utilities, home repairs, car payments, car repairs, etc.
• Lorraine and Gary at Gulfshore Cooling stepped up to provide a new HVAC system for a Heights grandmother. Thank you!

Back to School 2020 outreach update:

• We anticipate providing 580 students in K-12 with school supplies on Saturday, July 25 at The Heights Center.
• You have been so generous! Organizations and businesses currently collecting and donating supplies are FL Blue, Bell Tower Park, Crown Colony,Hertz- Revenue Management Team, Kelly Brothers Marine Construction, Owen Ames Kimball Company, Kelly Greens, Estero Island Chapter of NSDAR, Scotlynn Group, Jason’s Deli-Reflection Lakes, State Farm, Temple Judea, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Zion Lutheran Church, Peace Lutheran Church, ReMax Realty Group, ABC Young Professionals Group, and Fort Myers High School NHS.*
• Donations are currently being accepted at The Heights Center Monday-Friday from 9AM-5PM.
• Monetary donations are accepted directly on the Foundation’s website.
• Checks can also be mailed to The Heights Center (15570 Hagie Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908

*In addition to collecting school supplies, members of the Fort Myers High School National Honor Society are also donating canned goods and clothing to The Heights Center. This campaign began the week of June 29 and is expected to continue through the end of the summer.

Harlem Heights Community Charter School:

• We look forward to welcoming our fifth-grade class in August. The school will now serve K-5, with 151 students enrolled.

GLAD Kids:

• GLAD Kids is serving 54 children, and we expect that number to continue to rise.
• Children are in small groups, washing hands frequently, disinfecting surfaces & toys multiple times a day, and taking a lot of extra precautions.

Construction of The Heights Education Center:
Future home of The Harlem Heights Community Charter School and
GLAD Kids Early Learning Center

• We are on schedule to open for the school year, August 10.
• Click here to see a really cool time-lapse video of our progress.
• Click here to view more construction photos.
• The building is beautiful! and it’s unfortunate that COVID has kept us from having our planned Hard Hat tours. Email me if you’d like a private tour.
• I do look forward to showing off our Education Center in the near future.

As we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of The Heights Foundation, we are so proud of the accomplishments of our Heights families that YOU made possible! Stay tuned for more details.

In addition to classroom space, the colorful building has a large multipurpose room with a capacity to serve meals for 180 students. The building has music and art labs designed with access to an outdoor roof terrace to encourage arts exploration and interaction with the environment. The terrace will also host the aquaponics and hydroponics gardens. An outdoor play pavilion is included as part of the design for PE activities. All classrooms have been designed with natural light, flexibility and technology in mind.

82% of the project’s budget has been raised in a silent campaign. Major donors include David Lucas, Jim and Gaye Pigott, The Fernandez Family Foundation, Joe and Joann Catti, Dinah Bloomhall and FineMark Bank, as well as several anonymous donors. In her remarks to the audience at the groundbreaking, Kathryn Kelly, Founder, President and CEO of The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center thanked the donors, the strong families of Harlem Heights, some with four generations in the neighborhood; the staff of The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center, The Heights Charter School and GLAD Kids; board members of The Foundation and the charter school; volunteers and community partners including Westminster Presbyterian, Zion Lutheran, Rotary of Sanibel-Captiva and Fort Myers South, FineMark Bank, Community Cooperative, Senior Friendship Centers and The United Way.

“We know that when kids are provided resources, including community support and a decent education, they thrive and flourish,” said Kelly. “Our charter school was conceived because we saw the difference we made in the academic performance of our AfterSchool kids. We knew that if we could help them be successful in school with just a few hours each afternoon, our impact would be multiplied if we had them all day. We are raising life-long learners and they are thriving.” 108 students grades K-4 currently attend The Harlem Heights Community Charter School that is housed in the existing community center and several modules.

The Heights Foundation merged with Gladiolus Learning and Development (GLAD Kids) in January of 2019. GLAD Kids is housed in an older building in the Harlem Heights neighborhood. Prior to the merger, GLAD had started a capital campaign to build a new building, and donors agreed to fund the new building on The Heights Foundation campus that will house both GLAD Kids and the Heights Charter School.

Owen-Ames-Kimball is the general contractor for the project. RG Architects designed the building and TDM Consulting is the civil engineering and site planning firm.

For more information about supporting The Heights Early Learning and Education Center, contact Kathryn Kelly at (239) 482-7706 or Kathryn@heightsfoundation.org. For more information about The Heights Foundation visit www.heightsfoundation.org.
About The Heights Foundation and The Heights Center

The Heights Foundation works to build self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood. The mission is to support education and wellness, promote family and community development, and provide the benefits of enrichment and the arts. The Heights Center, supported by The Heights Foundation, is a place for Education, Opportunity, and Enrichment. GLAD Kids is a child care and pre-k center serving more than 80 children birth-five. The Harlem Heights Community Charter School currently serves kindergarten through fourth grade and will expand to serve up to fifth grade.

Harlem Heights was originally settled as a rural agricultural community. Approximately 780 children live in a mixture of single-family homes and multi-family apartments. Demographically, the population is approximately 70% Hispanic, 20% African-American, and 8% Caucasian. The poverty rate for children in Harlem Heights is more than twice the county average, with family income 40% below the county average. Families are not able to easily access family support services located in downtown Fort Myers, and benefit greatly from programs located within the neighborhood.

You Can Impact The Lives Of Heights Kids
The kids in Harlem Heights are growing up. Will they continue in a life of poverty?   Or will they realize their full potential and find their place in the world? You have a unique opportunity to help us continue to truly impact the lives of at-risk kids right in our community.  Data shows that if you provide young people with the necessary resources, including a good education, a decent home, and community support, they will blossom into productive citizens, lead purposeful lives, and make significant contributions to our society.
Be a part of their dream. Give them a place to find hope.
The Heights Early Learning and Education Center

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The Heights Foundation works to build self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood of Fort Myers, Florida.  The mission is to support education and wellness, promote family and community development, and provide the benefits of enrichment and the arts.

The Heights Center, supported by The Heights Foundation, is a place for Education, Opportunity, and Enrichment. GLAD Kids is a child care and pre-k center serving more than 80 children birth-five. The Harlem Heights Community Charter School currently serves kindergarten through third grade and will expand to serve up to fifth grade.

Harlem Heights was originally settled as a rural agricultural community. Approximately 780 children live in a mixture of single-family homes and multi-family apartments. Demographically, the population is approximately 70% Hispanic, 20% African-American, and 8% Caucasian. The poverty rate for children in Harlem Heights is more than twice the county average, with family income 40% below the county average. Families are not able to easily access family support services located in downtown Fort Myers, and benefit greatly from programs located within the neighborhood.

Want to learn more about us?   Contact us at info@heightsfoundation.org or call (239) 482-7706

Love Your Neighbor Video By Bill Rogers Productions

“Love Your Neighbor”, the 10th annual event benefiting The Heights Foundation, raised a record $443,000 for educational programs for at-risk kids in Harlem Heights. The event was held at the Gulf Harbour home of Mary Jo Little. The VIP Pre Party was held at the home of David and Susan Knust. Mark Loren, Norman and Mary Love were honored for their years of support of The Heights Foundation. Norman Love Confections and Mark Loren Designs helped create this signature event and have supported it since its inception.

A $100,000 giving challenge was made by Bill and Caroline Bloomhall, residents of Gulf Harbour and long-time supporters of The Heights Foundation. If the audience pledged a minimum of $100,000 in donations during the Fund-a-Need in the live auction, the Bloomhalls would match the amount. Attendees generously met the challenge and donated $131,250.

Guests enjoyed an assortment of culinary creations from popular local restaurants and chefs including Bahama Breeze Island Grille, Blu Sushi, Cru, Gather, LYNQ, Norman Love Confections, The Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market, Three Fishermen Seafood Restaurant. The Lighthouse Resort/Tiki Bar and Yucatan Beach Stand provided beverages.  VIP attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres from Black Salt Culinary and wines from Benovia Winery.

Auctioneer Scott Robertson along with celebrity emcee Kellie Burns of NBC-2 conducted the live auction that included an insider’s trip for eight to Cuba with Chef Gloria Jordan, a sunset cruise and dinner with wine pairings aboard the 101 foot yacht, TÒ-KALÒN, a one-of-a-kind necklace created for the event by Mark Loren, a trip for six to Montpelier Plantation and Beach, St. Kitts and Nevis, a 40 person party on the rooftop at Society, a dinner for eight by renowned chef Brian Roland of Crave Culinaire, and a dinner for eight at the Iona McGregor Fire Station. Music was provided by Randy and Lori Thomas. Casual modeling was provided by Jennifer’s boutique.

Sponsors include Mark Loren Designs, Norman Love Confections, FineMark National Bank & Trust, Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, Ed & Connie Lizak, JP Morgan Chase & Company, B&I Contractors, Avanti Salon & Day Spa, Victor & Katherine Mayeron, Jason & Sherri Huff of Huff Insurance, Ron & Kim Agypt, Mark & Gretchen Banks, Bill & Caroline Bloomhall, Dinah Bloomhall, Dave & Cheryl Copham, Golisano Children’s Hospital, Fred & Elaine Hawkins of Private Client Insurance Services, Rich & Sandy Heinrich, The Javedan Family, Gary & Sharyn Morgan, Richard & Vicki Pitbladdo, Dean & Janie Schreiner, Tom & Linda Van Wyk, Don & Andi Vogt and Cliff & Georgeanne Williams.

Special thanks to Greg & Jo Callaway of Gulf Harbour Properties, Vandy Major Photography, Angela Brandt, Jason’s Deli and Creative Sound & Lighting.

“The Gulf Harbour community has been so supportive of The Heights Foundation and embraced their neighbors in the Harlem Heights community,” said Kathryn Kelly, President and CEO of The Heights Foundation. “Our mission is to build strong, self-sufficient families and education is the key to success. The monies raised support our educational programs that include our charter school, enriching after school and summer camp programs, academic tutoring, scholarship and college access assistance, school supplies, and tuition support. Each program is geared to meet the specific needs of children and young adults who seek to further their education.”

For more information about the Heights Center and The Heights Foundation visit www.heightsfoundation.org or call (239) 482-7706.

Photos by Vandy Major

Photo Booth By Photo Magic Events

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