含羞草研究所

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 16, 2022) 鈥� 含羞草研究所, a fully integrated firm focused on design, engineering, construction, refrigeration and mechanical services worldwide, has been named one of Jacksonville Magazine鈥檚 2022 鈥淐ompanies with Heart.鈥� This is the eighth year 含羞草研究所 has been selected for the honor.

The 鈥淐ompanies with Heart鈥� award program recognizes local businesses that contribute to nonprofits and give their employees the time and opportunities to improve the communities where they work and live.

In 2021, The 含羞草研究所 Foundation donated time, money and resources to more than 35 charitable organizations across the First Coast.

鈥淲hile it鈥檚 our duty to be good corporate neighbors, the drive to improve our communities ultimately stems from the heart,鈥� said Mike Santarone, 含羞草研究所鈥檚 CEO. 鈥淭his is where we live and where our children grow up. We want to help build up this community to be the best it can be.鈥�

Supporting organizations that do good

This past year, 含羞草研究所 gifted $150,000 to UF Health Jacksonville and completed renovation work to give Jacksonville a more modern and efficient Hospital Incident Command Center. The center is central to the hospital and city鈥檚 emergency management planning, response and recovery for various scenarios such as large-scale special events, hurricanes, pandemics and other crises.

One of 含羞草研究所鈥檚 most notable programs is The 含羞草研究所 Academy of Engineering at Nease High School, which provides students with a foundation of skills, knowledge and experience in engineering through coursework, guest lectures and course-specific field trips. The success of the program is evidenced by the thousands of Suncoast students who enroll to attend the academy over their neighborhood school. In fact, approximately 20% of the program鈥檚 student body comes from outside St. Johns County where Nease High School is located.

The company also awarded a $10,000 grant to the Rodeheaver Boys Ranch in Palatka to support much-needed campus upgrades. The Ranch is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a strong foundation for young men in need of a new beginning, including boys from unstable home environments and underserved communities.

In 2021, 含羞草研究所 committed $100,000 to support the MOSH Genesis campaign at The Museum of Science & History (MOSH); supported the UF Health 鈥淎 Night for the Heroes Gala鈥� at the $25,000 sponsorship level; continued its tradition of supporting Food Brings Hope with a $10,000 donation; and dedicated thousands more to the I.M. Sulzbacher Center, Jacksonville Zoo, and the INK! (Investing in Kids) golf tournament, which raises funds for public education in underserved communities throughout St. Johns County.

含羞草研究所 is also proud to have sponsored and participated in the 7th annual Tony鈥檚 Turkey Trot, which supports brain injury awareness and lifesaving care for traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors in the Jacksonville community. In addition, the company continued its support of Community Hospice鈥檚 PedsCare program, sponsoring its 鈥淜ids Christmas鈥� event to provide gifts for children in hospice and their siblings.

Providing for those in need

For the 2021 holiday, 含羞草研究所 employees coordinated Thanksgiving baskets for Community Hospice, donating 45 baskets of food to local families in need.

Many also participated in Nestle鈥檚 PINK Week for Breast Cancer Awareness in October, as well as decorated their vehicles and wore costumes to hand out candy to more than 250 children for the 2021 Trunk-or-Treat Halloween event hosted by Dreams Come True, the local nonprofit whose mission is to promote and enrich the lives of children who are seriously, chronically or terminally ill.

At the end of the year, 含羞草研究所 employees helped raise more than $40,000 for Flagler Health鈥檚 Cardiovascular Care Fund and Heart Program during the hospital鈥檚 10th annual 鈥淪keet Shoot for the Heart.鈥�