Sunrise Community of Southwest Florida

10/05/2026

🌊 Flashback Highlight: Sunrise Made Waves!

We’re looking back at an amazing Tidal Wave Charity Day, where Sunrise Community locations came together for a day of giving, community spirit, and friendly competition to see who could raise the most donations!

Our SWFL location was proud to join in on the fun and help make a difference for the persons supported we proudly serve.

We’re sharing some of our favorite moments from across Sunrise as our teams came together for this special day. 💙

Thank you to Tidal Wave Car Wash and everyone who showed their support!

09/26/2026

💙 Flashback to a Meaningful Community Partnership

On behalf of everyone at Sunrise Community, we want to take a moment to express our sincere appreciation for Wawa's ongoing commitment to community support and hunger relief. Your dedication to lifting up local organizations makes a profound difference in the lives of the individuals we serve every day.

Through initiatives like your Food Donation Connection program and The Wawa Foundation’s generous community outreach, Wawa consistently demonstrates what it means to be a true community partner. Your support helps ensure that the people supported across our programs have access to the resources, care, and nourishment they need to thrive.

Thank you for your generosity, your partnership, and your continued dedication to making our community a better, brighter place. We are truly grateful to have Wawa by our side! 💙

09/14/2026

💙 This DSP Recognition Week, we’re celebrating the incredible difference Direct Support Professionals make every day.

Take a moment to read COO Jameson Dörmann’s special message of appreciation for our amazing DSPs!

Behind every milestone, every new skill, and every proud moment at Sunrise Community is a Direct Support Professional believing in someone's potential.

Our COO, Jameson Dörmann, wrote a special note to our DSPs reflecting on the priceless moments they create and the lasting difference they make every day.

Take a moment to read his complete note of gratitude, and join us in celebrating our extraordinary DSP team! 🙌✨

09/14/2026

🎨 We’re continuing our DSP Recognition Week celebration by highlighting Roman Dylan Paul O’Hearn, the talented artist behind this year’s winning DSP Recognition Week T-shirt design! 💙

Learn more about Roman and the inspiration behind his artwork on our blog.

🎨💙 Meet the Artist Behind This Year’s DSP Recognition Week T-Shirt!

DSP Recognition Week is officially here, and we’re kicking things off by celebrating Roman Dylan Paul O’Hearn, the talented artist who created this year’s winning T-shirt design!

Roman’s artwork brings together powerful themes of support, respect, love, teamwork, and community, reminding us of the meaningful connections DSPs build with persons supported each day.

We’re so proud to share Roman’s creativity and celebrate his winning design throughout DSP Recognition Week. Thank you, Roman, for creating artwork that helps us recognize and appreciate the incredible impact of Direct Support Professionals! 💙

Learn more about Roman, the inspiration behind this year’s DSP Recognition Week T-shirt design, by visiting our blog below:

https://sunrisegroup.org/meet-the-artist-behind-the-2026-dsp-recognition-week-t-shirt/

09/14/2026

🌊 Bradenton, the countdown is on! 🌊

Don’t forget to join us on Friday, September 18, for Tidal Wave Auto Spa💙 100% of proceeds will benefit local charities, including Sunrise Community.

Every wash is an opportunity to give back and support the meaningful work we do to create opportunities and valued lives for persons supported. We hope to see you there and appreciate your support! 💙

📅 Friday, September 18
📍 Bradenton, FL
🧼 Wash. Give. Make a difference.

09/09/2026

🚌 Learning Lifelong Independence, One Bus Ride at a Time! 🛒

Our Bradenton Life Skills Development team reached a huge milestone today! As part of our hands-on training for navigating the community, our individuals learned how to use public transportation step-by-step.

Today’s trip? Boarding the Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) bus and heading straight to the store! 🚍💳

Learning how to read route schedules, pay fares, and ride public transit opens up a world of independence, confidence, and connection for the people we serve. Seeing their pride as they navigate the route and run their own errands is what life skills development is all about.

A huge thank you to MCAT and our incredible staff for helping build practical skills for everyday life! 💙✨

09/09/2026

🎳 Strikes, Spares, and Unstoppable Smiles! 🎳

What an incredible day of fun, inclusion, and community spirit at our recent bowling outing in Cape Coral!

Our Aktion Club members had a blast hitting the lanes, joined by energetic student leaders from the local Key Club and supported by our wonderful Kiwanis family.

Events like this highlight the true power of the Kiwanis service family. When Aktion Club (for adults with disabilities) and Key Club (for high school leaders) come together, it creates a welcoming space built on mentorship, friendship, and mutual respect.

Beyond the friendly competition, adaptive sports like bowling offer huge benefits for individuals with disabilities:

Physical Wellness: Improves hand-eye coordination, balance, flexibility, and motor skills in an accessible, low-impact environment.
Social Connection: Encourages teamwork, peer encouragement, and meaningful social interaction that boosts confidence.
Pure Empowerment: Celebrating every frame—whether a strike, a spare, or a gutter ball—builds a sense of pride and belonging.
A massive thank you to our local Kiwanis supporters and Key Club volunteers for rolling with us and making this event so memorable. We’re already looking forward to the next game! 🏆💙

09/09/2026

🌱 Learning Has No Age Limit, and Growth Has No Ceiling! 💫

At Sunrise Community of Southwest FL Inc., we believe that lifelong learning is for everyone. Growth doesn’t stop after high school—every single day brings new opportunities to discover passions, master practical skills, and step into greater independence.

Our Life Skills Development programs are designed to empower adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to keep reaching higher. Learning looks different for everyone, and we celebrate every single milestone along the journey! 🌟

What lifelong learning looks like in our programs every day:

🚌 Community Navigation: Learning to use public transit, read routes, and travel with confidence.
💳 Financial Literacy & Shopping: Practicing budget management, handling money, and running errands at local stores.
🗣️ Self-Advocacy & Communication: Finding your voice, expressing needs, and making choices about your own life.
🍳 Daily Living & Nutrition: Cooking healthy meals, practicing kitchen safety, and maintaining personal wellness.
🤝 Social Skills & Connection: Building lasting friendships, practicing teamwork, and actively engaging with our local community.
When we encourage continuous learning, we foster self-esteem, open doors to new possibilities, and build a more inclusive community for all.

Thank you to our dedicated team, wonderful families, and community partners for supporting our participants as they learn, grow, and thrive every day! 💙

If you or someone you know is interested in any of our programs please let us know in the comments.

What is a new skill you’ve learned recently? Share it in the comments below! 👇

09/09/2026

🎳 Striking Up Connection & Confidence in Bradenton! 🎳

Our Bradenton Life Skills Development program took to the lanes for an awesome day of bowling!

While bowling is always a favorite community activity, it’s also a powerful, hands-on opportunity for participants to practice and build real-world social skills in a supportive, fun environment.

Here are just a few of the valuable social skills learned and practiced during every frame:

Turn-Taking & Patience: Learning to wait for your turn, pay attention to the score screen, and cheer on teammates while they bowl.
Positive Communication & Encouragement: High-fives, celebrating strikes and spares, and offering words of encouragement after a tough frame.
Peer Mentorship & Teamwork: Working together as a lane, helping one another track the rotation, and sharing equipment.
Community Engagement: Practicing navigating public spaces, interacting politely with venue staff, and building comfort in dynamic social environments.
Sportsmanship & Self-Regulation: Handling both wins and gutter balls with grace, building resilience, and focusing on having fun together.
Outings like this prove that learning life skills doesn't just happen in a classroom—sometimes it happens right at the bowling alley!

A huge thank you to our dedicated staff and supporters for making these interactive learning experiences possible! 💙✨

08/27/2026

🌊 Bradenton, we’re making waves! 🌊

Sunrise Community is excited to be part of Tidal Wave Auto Spa Charity Day! 🚗💙

Join us on Friday, September 18, and help make a difference while getting your car sparkling clean! 100% of proceeds benefit local charities, including Sunrise Community.

Your wash can help support the meaningful work we do every day to create opportunities and valued lives for persons supported. 💙

We’re grateful to Tidal Wave Car Wash for choosing to support our community and for helping us make an impact together!

📅 Friday, September 18
📍 Bradenton, FL

🧼 Wash. Give. Make a difference.