• Halfacre Construction Co., a Lakewood Ranch-based commercial construction company, recently completed work on an 11,000-square-foot building for Harvest House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the premise that all people deserve safe, stable housing.

Construction completed by Halfacre on the new Life Enrichment Campus included seven administrative offices, two private spaces for counseling, four classrooms, a 4,500-square-foot multipurpose space, two child-care spaces for different ages, a catering kitchen and high exposed ceilings.

Located at 3650 17^th St., in Sarasota, the $2.5 million project started in fall 2021.

Halfacre performed the site development and construction of the new pre-engineered metal structure. Zoller Autrey Architects was a partner on the project.

The Life Enrichment Campus will now serve as a hub for the community to access supportive and affordable housing, nutritious groceries, life-skills support, addiction recovery and more.

Currently, Harvest House provides life enrichment activities to more than 150 clients weekly.

• The Association of Fundraising Professionals Southwest Florida Chapter has been named a 2023 Ten Star GOLD Chapter.

Every year, AFP, the largest association of professional fundraisers in the world, honors chapters for achieving goals that align with key objectives in its long-range strategic plan. Chapters receive the Ten Star GOLD Award for performing specific activities designed to increase professionalism within fundraising and public awareness of the importance of philanthropy.

In addition, the AFP Southwest Florida Chapter has been designated as an IDEA Champion. The IDEA Champion Designation recognizes those AFP chapters who have accomplished at least eight of the key objectives outlined in the Promote Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) strategic pathway of the AFP Global Strategic Plan. This designation encourages AFP chapters around the world to perform specific activities designed to increase IDEA within fundraising and public awareness of the importance of philanthropy in all cultures.

• The Government Finance Officers Association recognizes the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller for its exemplary financial reporting for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2021, with a series of financial reporting awards. The clerk has been awarded the Triple Crown Medallion for the third year in a row, the highest recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.

The office has also been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Port Authority Annual Comprehensive Report and a Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award for its Popular Annual Financial Report.

The GFOA has awarded the Clerk’s office the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the County's ACFR for the 43rd consecutive year.

• HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading health care providers, has been recognized for the 13^th time by Ethisphere as one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies.

HCA Healthcare is one of four honorees in the Healthcare Providers category this year. Ethisphere is a global leader in defining and advancing standards of ethical business practices.

In 2022, HCA Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation donated more than $44 million to community organizations across the country, and HCA Healthcare colleagues logged more than 143,800 volunteer hours.

In 2022, the HCA Healthcare Foundation continued to support the Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a community impact fund focused on addressing high-priority community needs and advancing health equity.

Since its launch in 2021, the Fund has committed more than $18.3 million in communities where HCA Healthcare has a presence and granted awards to 51 nonprofit partners, including the American Heart Association, Girl Scouts of the USA and Educate Texas.

In addition, HCA Healthcare provided uncompensated care in 2022 at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion.

In 2023, Ethisphere recognized 135 honorees spanning 19 countries and 46 industries.

• Opportunities For All, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, is accepting applications for the third year of its Summer Internship program.

The eight-week program, beginning June 5, provides a win-win opportunity for local employers to have a diverse intern for the summer. In return, the intern broadens his or her exposure to the professional work world. The program is designed for minority interns.

Applicants must be a high school graduate or older. Employers involved in the program must be Sarasota Chamber members.

Applicants should visit this site, shorturl.at/fpzY4.

For more information about the program, contact Melanie Lavender, Opportunities For All manager, at mlavender@sarasotachamber.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Harvest House expands services with new building, hospital recognized