Non Profit Corner
Are You Lender Ready? Unlock Business Funding with SBA Experts- 5 -13 - 1 PM Get ready to secure the funding your business needs! Join us on May 13, 2025, for this SBA-led Free Virtual workshop designed to help you understand what lenders look for, how to prepare your financials, and how to strengthen your application. Walk away with actionable tips and insights that will help you confidently approach lenders and grow your business. Don’t miss this opportunity to get lender ready! Register
Boost Your Small Business with Google Tools for Growth – 5/6 - 9 AM Take your business to the next level with powerful, free tools from Google! In this session, you'll learn how to strengthen your online presence, reach more customers, and improve your marketing strategies using Google’s resources. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow, this workshop will equip you with practical, easy-to-use tips to boost visibility and drive results. Join us and get inspired to grow smarter! Register
FREE Virtual Webinar: How to Use the Childcare Tax Credit 4/25 – 9 AM Discover how your business can benefit from Florida’s Childcare Tax Credit! This informative webinar explains how supporting childcare access can boost workforce participation and reduce turnover—while providing valuable tax relief. Learn how to apply the credit, support your employees, and enhance your workplace benefits. Hear from industry experts and get your questions answered live. Invest in your team and your bottom line by joining this important conversation!
JOIN HERE
Kids Summer Camp 2025, hosted at the Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda, FL, offers hands-on experiences for students entering grades 4–9. Weekly themes include WWII history, service, and patriotism, with activities like flight simulators, VR, creative projects, field trips, and veteran interactions. Sessions run Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on June 16–20, July 7–11, July 14–18, and July 21–25. The cost is $220/week or $210 if paid in full by May 1. Visit www.history-academy.org or call 941-655-8315 to register.
Small changes can bring big results for your employees! Gulfcoast South AHEC is now offering $25 gift cards* to Group Quit participants who attend in-person or virtual sessions. FREE tobacco cessation counseling and FREE Nicotine Replacement in the form of patches, gum and/or lozenges are also available at no cost for qualifying participants. As part of Tobacco Free Florida’s in-person/virtual Group Quit sessions, we are here to help. Call 866-534-7909 or visit gsahec.org to register today. *while supplies last
We need volunteers to help support grieving children and families at Valerie’s House in Punta Gorda! Opportunities include Group Facilitators (Group Buddies), Greeters, Dinner Helpers, Activity Preppers, and more. No experience is needed—just a compassionate heart. We provide all training! Volunteers are encouraged to commit to two evenings a month to help create a safe, supportive space for healing. Orientation will be held on June 23rd. To learn more, visit https://valerieshouse.org/group-volunteers or contact amy.huddleston@valerieshouse.org. Come make a difference in the lives of local families!
Spring Classes Available for Sign Up! EXCITING NEWS! SPRING SPECIAL: Non-Members Can Sign Up for Classes at Member Pricing! Do you have a friend or acquaintance who has been wanting to take a class and hasn't because they're not a member? Now is the perfect time to SIGN THEM UP! Members let's welcome these new students and show them what a great place the Visual Arts Center is - so they will become members too! ART EDUCATION – Visual Arts Center We are excited to introduce our newly redesigned website. https://visualartcenter.org
Annual Tourism Celebration: Join us May 9th at Harborside Garden for a fun afternoon networking with your fellow hospitality community! There will be good food, cold beverages, good socializing and maybe even some friendly competition. We'll also be presenting the Annual Tourism Awards at the celebration. You can still nominate your rockstars through April 18th. More event details and tickets can be found here. We hope to see you there!
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – Registration is open for co-ed youth basketball for the 2025 summer league at Harold Avenue Regional Park Recreation Center. The cost is $75 if you register before May 9, 2025 or $85 register by the extended deadline of May 17, 2025. Registration is available online at https://tinyurl.com/coedbasketball25, in person at Harold Avenue Regional Park Recreation Center, or over the phone by calling 941-627-1074.
Attention Charlotte Employers-do not miss this JOB FAIR on Thursday, April 24 2025 from 10:15am to 12:15pm at Charlotte Technical College Auditorium, 18150 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte, FL 33948. Graduating High School Senior Job Seekers from tech to healthcare, finance to education, manufacturing to entertainment and everything in between, will be be available. They are passionate, driven and ready to make and impact. Business Registration Click Here. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at: bussvc@careersourcesouthwestflorida.com.
The Rotary Club of Punta Gorda is Celebrating a Century of Service on April 26, 2025, at the Isles Yacht Club from 5 PM to 9:30 PM. For 100 years, we have had the honor and pleasure of giving back to organizations and service partners in Punta Gorda. We are extending an invitation to our celebration, which includes hot appetizers, dinner, a cash bar, dancing, and a 50/50 raffle. The tickets are $100.00 per person and can be purchased on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/punta-gorda-charity-and-education-foundation-106403550321. You can also contact Darcy Hanley directly at darcyrhhanley@gmail.com or 303-927-9437 to make a reservation and select an entrée.
Charlotte Players Kids OnStage Summer Theater Workshop June 9-13, 16-20 with shows June 20th and 21st. Grades 1-12 and is located at the Charlotte Performing Arts Center in Punta Gorda. Call 941-255-1022 for registration and for more information.
Get help this Tax Season with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) through a United Way collaborative initiative. Free Tax preparation for families and individuals whose household income is $66,000 or less per year. Call 941-421-7100 or visit VITA Free Tax Prep Assistance | United Way of Charlotte County
“The Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau in partnership with the Charlotte Chapter of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association will once again host the Tourism Awards at their Annual Tourism Celebration on May 9th. The Tourism Awards recognize hospitality industry employees who have been instrumental in shaping the experience of those visiting our piece of paradise. We invite all Charlotte County hospitality business owners, managers, and leaders to nominate their top employees. Submissions are being accepted through April 18th by filling out the form found HERE.”
Rich cultural experiences are coming to the heart of Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach as ZimSculpt, a renowned exhibition of Zimbabwean stone sculptures, returns to Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens. From February 8 through April 20, 2025, the Gardens will host over 2,000 hand-carved stone sculptures. The exhibition, which is only presented in North America once a year, offers a rare opportunity to view and purchase these unique works of art. Two artists will be on-site daily, demonstrating and sharing insights into the stone carving process.