Visitors to the Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center  come in search of a number of services, but all could likely use a little serenity. That’s why the most recent Leadership Sarasota graduating class settled on the creation of a “Serenity Garden” where individuals could relax and reflect. “We felt this could have a positive impact for people who were trying to manage certain challenges and difficulties,” says Sue Wetzel, communications director for the class. About 45,000 clients, both children and adults, each year receive services from the various nonprofit organizations on the campus. The new facility, which officially opened on May 9, includes playground equipment for children but also benches and shade structures to provide a comfortable place for all visitors to sit and enjoy. The 2018 Leadership Class included 40 individuals with a variety of expertise areas, from engineering and landscaping to financing and marketing, and the group leaned on botanists from Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to choose vegetation. Wetzel says the group considered about 15 different projects before deciding the garden would leave an enduring and important legacy. “We are thrilled to have the partnership of the Chamber’s Leadership Sarasota program to enhance and improve our campus with this unique green space feature for our 16 nonprofits agencies and those they serve,” says Kameron Hodgens, CEO and executive director of the Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center. 

PHOTO BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.