Paradise Center makes final moving preparations

By Dana Kampa
| 8:00 a.m. September 9, 2025

Amy Steinhauser, executive director of The Paradise Center, leads the effort to pack up materials from the community center in anticipation of the move to Longboat Island Chapel.

Longboat Key
Neighbors

Moving week at The Paradise Center brought forward some interesting surprises for staff. Among the items uncovered from the shelves was a photo album with memories dating back to the group's inception.

Amy Steinhauser, executive director of the center, said the move has been going smoothly, and her team looks forward to reopening at the new Longboat Island Chapel location at the end of September.

The community center maintained its regular programming until the last week of August, when team members turned all their energy toward final moving preparations.

The Paradise Center team had boxes ready to go the center's new location at Longboat Island Chapel.

"It feels like we're going to have more space to spread out a little, and we wanted to expand our programs," she said. "It looks like this move is going to give us an opportunity to even run some classes concurrently."

She anticipates there will be some overlap between congregation members at the chapel and people who are already members at The Paradise Center, but she also believes they will see an uptick in membership as they welcome new people.

While some team members were busy packing boxes, tech expert Celia Moore, owner of Tech Solutions Florida, handled the digital side of transferring files ahead of the move.

Team members at The Paradise Center bid farewell to the Bay Isles Road location at the end of August and prepared for their upcoming move to Longboat Island Chapel.

Steinhauser said the center looks forward to expanding its programming after getting settled in the new space. That may include bingo, cooking classes and other, more in-depth educational programs.

She added the center is looking to expand its staff as well.

In the weeks leading up to the Sept. 29 reopening, the center is still seeking support for its fundraising efforts. The center surpassed the 10% mark of its total fundraising goal. For details on how to contribute through the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust or GiveButter, visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.