Providence Family Life Center (PFLC): Building Resilience, Restoring Lives, and Empowering Wellness
  
Founded in 2008 by a social worker with a vision to restore dignity and well-being, Providence Family Life Center (PFLC) began as a simple outreach, providing essential community support—meals, clothing, mentorship, and vital resource referrals. In 2013, Antoinette met Daniel, and in 2016, they decided to merge their strengths, relocating PFLC to Southwest Florida.

Recognizing the urgent needs of their new community, they conducted a thorough needs assessment, revealing critical gaps in mental health and housing. PFLC focused on disability application assistance, aiding vulnerable populations, including veterans and children with disabilities, to access essential services. To address the housing crisis, they renovated four homes, providing crucial transitional housing for seniors.

Hurricane Irma in 2017 sparked Antoinette's research into the mental health impact of disasters on vulnerable populations, culminating in her doctoral study. When Hurricane Ian devastated Lee County in 2022, PFLC was called to action. Within three days, PFLC teams were deployed to public and medical shelters, witnessing the profound trauma of survivors. They provided disaster case management to more than 250 individuals, coordinating resources, facilitating support groups, and managing reconstruction projects.

 Healing Beyond the Horizon: The Mind Body Movement Living Laboratory

 The trauma witnessed after Hurricane Ian confirmed a deeper truth: true resilience requires more than just rebuilding homes; it demands healing the body and mind.

To serve our community's long-term wellness needs—especially those recovering from chronic stress, injury, or the lingering effects of disaster—PFLC launched the Mind Body Movement Living Laboratory (MBMLL).

The MBMLL is the heart of our preventative, trauma-informed mission. It is a place where every member of our community, regardless of age or ability, can access therapeutic movement at low to no costs.  Our approach integrates neuroscience, CBT, and mindful movement to help the body process and release it. Through Adaptive Yoga, Functional Wellness for older adults, and specialized Strength and Mobility classes, we are actively working to restore the nervous system, rebuild physical capacity, and empower individuals to reclaim their strength and independence. The MBMLL is where recovery turns into enduring vitality.

In a climate of increasing extreme weather events and ongoing daily challenges, PFLC remains a hyper-local agency dedicated not only to disaster recovery but to comprehensive, holistic well-being. We empower individuals and communities with disaster education, preparedness skills, and, now, with the physical and mental tools for sustained healing, ensuring they recover stronger and more resilient than ever before.

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