Nonprofit partnership provides foster families with museum memberships

A.N.A.’s Friends has partnered with Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples to create meaningful, memorable experiences for local children and teens in foster care.

Through the partnership, A.N.A.’s Friends purchased 50 discounted family memberships that provide foster families with unlimited museum visits, discounted fees for camps and workshops, complimentary registration for select classes and exclusive members-only hours.

“Foster families open their hearts and homes to welcome another child into the mix, but don’t always have access to programs and resources that create true family bonding experiences,” said A.N.A.’s Friends CEO Jessica Kaestner. “The partnership with CMON doesn’t just provide a one-time experience, memberships allow families to return as often as they like to continue discovering, exploring and interacting as a cohesive family.”

A.N.A.’s Friends provides programs and services to Southwest Florida children and teens who have experienced abuse, neglect and abandonment, ensuring they have the support, resources and opportunities needed to build brighter futures. The nonprofit’s Heartfelt Hangouts and EmpoweredU help children and young adults build confidence, develop life skills and prepare for adulthood beyond foster care. Its Children’s Needs Program provides essentials like clothing, bedding, hygiene products and school supplies, along with funding for tutoring, therapies and summer programs.

CMON, Southwest Florida’s first museum dedicated to children and families learning through play, invites visitors to explore, imagine and discover together through immersive, hands-on exhibit galleries. CMON offers programs that provide access to the museum and its mission to all children in the community, regardless of their physical limitations, living arrangements or financial status.

Supporters of A.N.A.’s Friends provided funding to purchase CMON memberships. Additionally, A.N.A.’s Friends plans to introduce more families to CMON by hosting a Heartfelt Hangout at the museum, an experience meant to provide children and teens with fond memories of their childhood while connecting them with local youth in similar circumstances.

“We want every child to have the opportunity to experience Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples,” said Laura Bright, deputy museum director and chief of staff. “Play is critical not only to a child’s development, but to childhood itself. As a children’s museum, serving our community means ensuring that all children and families have access to the museum and our programs. Partnering with A.N.A.’s Friends is central to who we are and our commitment to the children, especially those who are the most vulnerable.”

“As a foster parent, I have seen firsthand the challenges children in the foster care system can face. On behalf of CMON, we are honored to partner and support A.N.A.’s Friends and the important work they do to ensure these children are seen, supported and given opportunities to simply be kids.”

About A.N.A.’s Friends
A.N.A.’s Friends is a nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to vulnerable Southwest Florida children and teens who have been Abused, Neglected and Abandoned (A.N.A.). “Friends” of the organization includes individuals, businesses, foundations and nonprofits that collaborate through partnerships that provide a safer, more nurturing environment that ensures youth have the support, resources and opportunities needed to build brighter futures. Originally founded in 1983, A.N.A.’s Friends is a United Way Partner Agency that serves youth in the dependency court system across Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. For more information, please visit ANAsfriends.org or call 239-245-7787.

About Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is a nonprofit, brain-building powerhouse and Southwest Florida’s first museum dedicated to children and families learning through play. Through immersive, hands-on exhibit galleries, CMON invites visitors of all ages to explore, imagine, and discover together.

Guests can journey through the swamps of the Everglades, climb a towering banyan tree, or experiment with interactive water play. Children can become a weather forecaster, a farmer, a chef, a fisherman, or an artist; explore the cold of an igloo, the whoosh of the wind, the sound of the sea, and the effects of gravity. Throughout the day special activities encourage our guests to get involved, try something new and be energized.

In addition to exhibits, CMON offers a wide range of educational programs, classes, camps, and special events designed to support creativity, curiosity, and early learning. Later this year, CMON will open a new Early Learning Center, expanding the museum’s impact by providing high-quality early childhood education for young learners.