Directed by Dr. Maria Roca, the Roots of Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) Center inspires students and community members alike to embrace positive change within themselves and their surroundings, with the ultimate goal of cultivating empathetic, compassionate leaders for the future.
Established as part of FGCU’s commitment to community engagement, the ROCK Center regularly hosts programs that encourage dialogue, service, and the practice of compassion in daily life. “Compassion is a virtue,” Executive Director of the Quality Life Center of Fort Myers Julian Ramirez said.
On Sept.20, the ROCK Center hosted its third “Shape A Compassionate Fort Myers” event on FGCU’s campus. The gathering served as a unique opportunity to bring together people from across generations—students, educators, activists, and local residents—to engage in meaningful conversations about how to strengthen and unify the Fort Myers community.
Through dialogue, participants were encouraged to envision what a truly compassionate city could look like and explore concrete ways to bring that vision to reality. The event blended formal presentations with interactive exchanges, creating a space where participants could both learn from local organizations and share their own perspectives.
Former FGCU President Mike Martin was in attendance.
“Don’t leave it here. Take this experience, big or small, and make a difference in people’s lives,” Martin said in his opening speech.
Attendees of the event heard from community organizations about programs and beliefs, such as The G Program, which fights against corrupted character teachings on social media aimed at youth, and a local group discussing permaculture principles for community building.
“[The G Program will] “rescue the generation,” said creator Kendon Dean.
A local group dedicated to permaculture principles offered insight into how sustainable practices can be used to foster stronger, more resilient neighborhoods. Together, these voices underscored the power of collaboration, education and compassion in shaping a brighter future for Fort Myers.
“It used to be important, but now it’s essential. That’s about what I can say and that’s one of the reasons I think we gotta keep this rolling,” Martin said. “I think it’s incredibly important for students to get involved because at the end of the day, many of us are gonna run out of energy, and you have it. Just go, go, go get ‘em,” he said.
ROCK provided attendees with more than just a morning of presentations, refreshments and discussion. Participants also left with informational packets containing resources such as “The Five Practices of Compassionate Listening” and “Focuses of Compassionate Community Initiatives,” which outlined strategies for strengthening communities through compassion and highlighted examples of cities that have adopted similar approaches.
The event closed with an emphasis on continuing dialogue, encouraging collaboration between students and community members as Fort Myers works toward building a more connected and resilient future.
“What matters most is that we are not enemies,” Rev. Alberita Johnson said. “Compassion without action means nothing.”
