The Brooks Foundation Enhances Lives Now and For the Future

In the journey of recovery from a life-changing illness or injury, the role of community support and innovative rehabilitation programs is critically important to helping patients reclaim their lives.  

The foundation helps fund services to ensure that we can continue to provide the highest level of care – and help patients reclaim their life and rediscover their passions, regardless of differing abilities. 

Ann Broudy recently joined the Brooks Foundation as executive director and is passionate about its mission and future growth. In the coming months, she will be expanding her team, allowing the Brooks Foundation to have greater outreach and impact. 

How does the Brooks Foundation help patients’ live life to the fullest? 

At Brooks Rehabilitation, our commitment goes beyond physical rehabilitation and therapy; it’s about helping patients live their fullest lives. The philanthropic support provided by the Brooks Foundation allows for the latest therapeutic technology and equipment, innovative programs, patient support funding, research as well as education. In turn, these areas help all Brooks patients to grow in strength and abilities. 

For many patients, their injuries may make it difficult to do things they have always enjoyed. For example, someone with a spinal cord injury may no longer be able to shoot hoops with friends on a neighborhood court. For that person who always enjoyed athletics, they can play on the wheelchair basketball team with special wheelchairs provided by Brooks through the adaptive sports program.  

The foundation supports many Brooks community programs at no cost or very low cost for participants so that they can enjoy activities adapted to their abilities. In addition to camaraderie, exercise and fun competition, programs like these keep patients physically active, connected with community and feeling purposeful. 

What are some of the community programs offered? 

The Brooks Foundation currently supports nine different Brooks community programs with expansion planned. These programs include Adaptive Sports and Recreation, the Brooks Aphasia Center, the Brain Injury Clubhouse, mental health counseling, music therapy, Neuro Recovery Centers, Pediatric Recreation, School Re-Entry and Community Wellness. All of these programs provide essential services and community for those they serve. 

How does the foundation provide support for families? 

Brooks recognizes that recovery from an injury affects not just the individual but the entire family unit. To support families during these challenging times, we offer low cost accommodations at Helen’s House, a non-profit, short-term hospitality facility located conveniently across from Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital-University Campus in Jacksonville, Florida.  

This hospitality house, supported by the foundation, provides a welcoming space for families traveling from afar to access necessary therapies. In addition, patients and their caregivers can use a free shuttle service equipped for wheelchairs, ensuring that transportation is one less stressor during their visit. Scholarships are also available for families who have demonstrated financial need. 

How does the foundation provide funding? 

The Brooks Foundation invites personal contributions, tribute gifts, planned gifts and gifts of stock to support Brooks’ programs and services. Through the generous financial support of individual donors, companies and foundations, patients and their families experience transformative rehabilitation.  

We also invite individuals to become recurring, annual contributors by joining the Brooks Foundation Impact Society. In order to raise awareness, the foundation hosts two signature events each year: The Brooks Rehabilitation Golf Classic Tournament in the fall and The Soirée in the spring. 

As we support the important work at Brooks Rehabilitation, we invite grateful patients and families, companies, physicians and everyone in the community to connect with the Brooks Foundation.  

Working together, we can create a stronger community that embraces and supports individuals with differing abilities. We also depend on our caring volunteers to help us serve more patients through our community programs.  

To learn more about how you can support the Brooks Foundation, contact  

Brooks.[email protected] or call (904) 345-7073.