As Businesses, We Can All Help Rebuild Our Community

Ian, Helene and Milton are all names seared in Southwest Florida’s recent memory. These severe weather events continue to impact our friends and neighbors, and collectively, all of us.

With 20 years in the community helping design the dreams of residents and businesses, we are proud to be involved in helping to restore a nonprofit institution on Fort Myers Beach that was severely impacted by Hurricane Ian.

The Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club is a philanthropic group founded in 1950 that initially was focused on beautification, gardening and cleanups on the island. Today, though, the Club is a nonprofit that supports educational and recreational activities for nonprofit, charitable and community organizations. For decades, the Club’s headquarters was its 1938 constructed Woman’s Clubhouse, which was the island’s first schoolhouse, a teen dance hall and community gathering place.

What could have resulted in a devastating blow for the organization, however, has instead turned into a true example of resilience and community spirit. Facing new building regulations and exorbitant construction costs, many longtime property owners on Fort Myers Beach have opted to sell to developers. To them, rebuilding is simply unrealistic. Rather than taking that path, the Woman’s Club’s volunteer leaders are embarking on an incredible comeback.

Prior to Ian, my company and I had no connection with the Woman’s Club. However, my brother-in-law, who also was personally impacted by Ian, received a $500 gift card through the Woman’s Club’s “33931 Fund” to help him get back on his feet. In all, the Woman’s Club distributed $731,000 to 1,452 individuals, as well as $110,000 to local organizations impacted by Ian.

It was the first time I had ever heard about the Woman’s Club. Months later, my wife mentioned a social media post about the Woman’s Club seeking an architect’s input about the rebuilding process. I didn’t think twice about responding, and after learning more about the Club’s great working in our community, our firm committed to providing all architectural design services – at no cost – to the Woman’s Club, offering all seven members of our team to the rebuilding project.

Contributing to the re-envisioning of this historic building is a privilege, and we are committed to creating a space that will serve for generations to come. Recognizing the need in the community, the Woman’s Club evolved its plans from building a Clubhouse for members into creating a true gathering space that will be available to rent for educational, social and community events. Once completed, the 6,700-square-foot Clubhouse will have a community room, indoor/outdoor bar service area, community deck, caterers’ kitchen, educational room, board room and nonprofit storage space for rent. In adherence with new resiliency regulations, interior spaces will be elevated with parking below.

We have committed to providing our services for free so the Woman’s Club can continue to commit its funds to the organization’s mission. In addition, they have embarked on a $4.3 million fundraising campaign for the building, a huge undertaking for a small, grass-roots nonprofit, especially one in a devastated community where nearly every organization and resident needs assistance.

We have secured project support from other businesses we work with to provide free services, including Jim Ink, President of Ink Engineering, as well as other local businesses that will provide professional services at reduced rates.

The motto for the fundraising efforts for the building is “when a group of men and women come together, share a spirit of resiliency, they realize the possibilities are endless.”

We have seen examples of this thinking throughout rebuilding from recent hurricanes, and we encourage other businesses that have thrived in Southwest Florida to find a cause they can support as the community rebuilds and re-envisions its future.