LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (June 3, 2021) – Neal Communities, Southwest Florida’s premier, private homebuilder, has made a $5,000 donation to support Sisters Sowing Seeds, a nonprofit organization that empowers teen girls in the community.
The organization was founded in 2015 by Monica Donley, a senior accountant with Neal Communities. It offers mentoring programs and other services to help teen girls and young women succeed both in school and life and strengthen their self-esteem.
The COVID-19 pandemic proved challenging for the nonprofit, which had to shift from in-person to online meetups. “I missed that personal touch, but we were still able to meet through Zoom,” said Donley.
Those Zoom sessions included events such as trivia games and virtual themed parties to help the girls de-stress from the difficulties of the last year, as well as a group session with a therapist who offered advice and assistance on navigating the pandemic and all the changes it brought. Tutoring sessions were available for students who needed extra help.
Donley also delivered frequent care packages to the 25 middle and high school students working with Sisters Sowing Seeds. They contained everything from personal items to useful supplies like journals to gift cards to help the girls and their families with necessities.
“It was important to keep doing what we do because of the time that I had spent cultivating relationships with these young ladies,” said Donley. “You don’t want to leave them when they’re in a difficult time; you want to make sure you’re able to stand by the words you have given them and the commitment you made to them to be a part of their lives. So of course I wanted to be a part of their lives when times got difficult. I didn’t want them to be out there by themselves.”
Over the past several years, she’s witnessed how the organization affects the girls it serves—and how important it is to be there for them. “These girls are changing and finding out who they’re becoming,” said Donley. “We get an opportunity to have an impact in that early stage of self-exploration. We can be there as a positive influence to let them know they are valuable. We can show them they’re capable of doing things they didn’t think they could.”
The $5,000 donation from Neal Communities will help Donley purchase supplies for upcoming Sisters Sowing Seeds efforts, which include a book club and a return to in-person community events. Neal Communities previously made a $1,000 donation to Sisters Sowing Seeds in 2019 and a $3,000 donation in 2020. Donley is truly grateful for the support she is getting from her employer for a cause so near to her heart.
“I think the community means a lot to my employer, and I think that’s important,” she said. “It feels good to work at a place that cares not only about your working for them and being able to achieve their goals, but that is also looking out for the community. They saw that this meant something to me, and they were willing to invest in it. And that means the world to me.”
“We’re honored to be able to both give back to the community and support one of our valued employees in her efforts to make a difference,” said Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities. “Monica is doing life-changing work through Sisters Sowing Seeds, and we’re happy to help support her efforts to empower the local girls and young women her organization serves.”
For more information about Sisters Sowing Seeds, visit www.sisterssowingseeds.org.
