Southwest Florida Community Foundation Grant to Help Trailways Camp

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Sept. 16, 2014 - PRLog -- Thanks to the generous support of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, and an anonymous donor, attendees of the Trailways Camp for adults with disabilities will soon be able to enjoy the fun and safety of a dock during their camp sessions. Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. will receive the $13,000 grant to go towards the construction of the dock and connected pathway. Trailways Camp is a partnership between Goodwill and The Robert V. & Benjamin G. Miller Fund. The camp is held at Riverside Retreat in LaBelle.

Trailways, which was launched in October of 2012 to address the social isolation experienced by adults with special needs and their caregivers in Southwest Florida, offers a variety of outdoor activities including fishing along the Caloosahatchee waterfront. The dock will provide a secure, stable, and ADA compliant foundation for these activities. $10,000 has also been pledged to the project by the Board of Trustees of The Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

"We are deeply grateful for the generous hearts of those who have acted to make this project possible," says Trailways founder Sharon Miller. “The fishing pier and walk way is a major step toward improving access for adults with mobility and other challenges, and is consistent with the partnership goal of providing safe, fun, and quality programs.”

Many adults with disabilities live with aging family members or caregivers and have few social or recreational opportunities that provide relief for their caregivers. Trailways Camp gives participants a chance to experience quality social recreational activities in a safe environment while giving respite to the families and caregivers.

“The addition of this dock will really enhance the camping experience,” says Jesi Cason, Trailways Camp director. “We can’t wait to incorporate it into our activities.”

Construction on the dock and pathway, which will be donated by Hammerheads of Sanibel, is anticipated to be complete by early 2015.

For more information regarding the Trailways camp contact Jesi Cason at (239)995-2106 ext. 2312 or JesiCason@goodwillswfl.org.

About The Robert V. & Benjamin G. Miller Fund

Sharon and Jerry Miller started a Donor Advised Fund in Central Texas after their son Robert passed away in late 2005 from complications stemming from a rare neonatal disorder.  Robert and his brother Ben both enjoyed camp experiences as children and young adults in Michigan.   More and more the Miller’s observed the social isolation and barriers to relationships that developed as children with special needs passed through school experiences, became adults and their families aged. The Millers reside in West Rocks in Sanibel. They have funded and led development of camps for adults with special needs since 2007.  In 2011 they established The Robert V. and Benjamin G. Miller Fund at the SW Florida Community Foundation, and created an Advisory Group that has led local design and development of Trailways Camps.  More information about the Fund and the SW Florida Community Foundation, a second key partner which administers the Fund, can be obtained by contacting Sarah Owen, Executive Director, at (239)274-5900. Visit www.trailwayscamps.org

About Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. provides life-changing opportunities to people with disabilities and disadvantages in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades Counties.  In 2013, more than 37,000 Southwest Floridians received assistance from Goodwill, ranging from Job-Link services to disability-accessible housing, the Goodwill L.I.F.E. Academy charter school for students with developmental disabilities, career guidance and mentoring programs for teens, and the SWFL MicroEnterprise project, a small business education program. To learn more about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, please visit the agency’s website at www.goodwillswfl.org.