THE NURTURE PLACE AWARDED $150,000 LEAD GIFT FROM WEST ORANGE HEALTHCARE DISTRICT TO HELP ESTABLISH PERMANENT HOME IN WEST ORANGE COUNTY

Non-profit provides mental-health counseling and support programs that help strengthen families and children

September 23, 2021 — The Nurture Place has announced the purchase of property in the heart of Winter Garden to provide mental-health counseling and wellness programming for children and families in west Orange County.

With a $150,000 lead gift from the West Orange Healthcare District, The Nurture Place has officially launched a capital campaign to raise a total of $1 million toward the project. The District grant enabled The Nurture Place to purchase property at 721 Vineland Road, and the remaining funds will be used to design and build a new 3,000 square-foot facility and support future programming.

“We are grateful for our partnership with the West Orange Healthcare District, especially at a time when the need for mental-health services is on the rise,” said The Nurture Place Executive Director Angela Gonzalez. “The District grant will allow us to establish permanent roots in our community and continue to grow and expand our support for local families.”

In addition to individual and family counseling, The Nurture Place provides group experiences that focus on social-emotional growth, increase family resilience and strengthen secure attachments between caregivers and children. Its programming is designed to prevent future trauma, abuse and neglect, as well as reduce the effects of social stressors such as poverty, racism and the pandemic. The organization plans to serve approximately 650 families a year in its new space.

“There’s an abundance of evidence-based research that shows a person’s overall wellbeing is greatly affected by their mental and emotional health,” said West Orange Healthcare District CEO Tracy Swanson.

“Many families in our community are facing socioeconomic challenges compounded by 18 months and counting of a global pandemic. We need mental-health providers like The Nurture Place now more than ever.”

Since 2012, the District has provided more than $188 million in grant funding to local organizations in west Orange County, which includes Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland, Apopka, Windermere and parts of the Dr. Phillips area.