nealcommunities.com Donates $1500-Ward Temple AME Church for summer progam. Marks 11 years funding.

Aug. 20, 2009 - PRLog -- Thanks to the continuing generosity of Neal Communities, many area children will have another summer to remember – full of safe, fun and educational activities. Pat Neal, president of Neal Communities, recently presented the Rev. James T. Golden with a donation of $1,500 to help fund a summer program for low-income children organized by the Ward Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) in Bradenton. This is the 11th year Neal has donated to the program – known as SCOPE (Summer Community Outreach Program of Enrichment) –which is geared toward children ages four through 17.

“Summer is supposed to be a magical time for kids – time to just have fun with no worries or grown-up concerns,” said Pat Neal. “There are many parents right now who are struggling to meet their children’s basic needs, let alone the added expense of keeping them entertained and out of harm’s way during the summer months. SCOPE provides an invaluable service for these families – giving children an unforgettable experience without putting a financial strain on the parents. Neal Communities is proud to offer our support for the hard work that Ward Temple pours into this program as well as the children of our community.”

Although SCOPE is open to everyone, it is geared toward those of limited means, with little cost for the parents of those attending. Because the program is funded entirely by private donations from local businesses and corporations, the parents’ cost for each child to attend is minimal.

Each day at camp is exciting and educational with mentoring, visual and performing art classes, recreational activities, and field trips to local attractions such as tours at the local firehouse, G.WIZ, South Florida Museum and Mote Marine Laboratory. The children’s lives are enriched with a wide array of educational and academic opportunities with a primary focus on the arts and the activities are designed to also help the students fine-tune their behavioral and social skills.

Ward Temple AME Church founded SCOPE just over 15 years ago in order to provide children a place to improve the quality of their lives through cultural arts and educational experiences and spiritual enrichment. Originally a half-day curriculum, generous community support has allowed SCOPE to blossom into a full-day program with a highly trained staff and over 65 students. Ward Temple AME Church is part of a worldwide organization of African Methodist Episcopal churches that consists of over 2 million members, 8,000 ministers and 7,000 congregations in more than 30 nations throughout North and South America, Africa, India and Europe. For more information about the church or SCOPE, please call 941-747-8288.

As the company celebrates its 39th year, Neal Communities has reinforced its reputation as Southwest Florida’s largest, locally owned and operated, private builder. Neal Communities touts large unused credit lines, debt free land, with long range plans to purchase additional property for building. Neal Communities has a long history of responsible land development, natural habitat preservation, innovative home building, and unsurpassed customer service, which has been a benchmark of the company’s success. Forty-one Aurora Awards, twenty-six 2008 Parade of Homes Awards, five Best in American Living Awards and hundreds of local and regional industry awards attest to a reputation that is without equal.  For more information, visit nealcommunities.com.