Meridian Healthcare, Transforming Lives and Historic Spaces

Gainesville, Fla. – On Thursday, April 30th, from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Meridian Healthcare will participate in 2026 The Amazing Give, our region’s annual day of giving. This year, our goal is to raise $30,000 to transform a historic space on our Gainesville campus, located at 1565 SW Williston Road, into The Retreat at Meridian — a shared outdoor environment designed to promote healing, movement, reflection, and connection. Meridian Healthcare has been proudly serving communities throughout North Central Florida with compassionate care since 1971. Meridian is a regional wellness provider, specializing in behavioral health services.

In years past, this historic outdoor space was a rope course where community members and organizations built trust, resilience, and teamwork. The natural elements and Florida weather collectively have made the former ropes course unsafe for current use. We are now focusing our efforts on transforming this recreational space into a dedicated area designed to foster connection and community among our programs. The Retreat at Meridian will be an open, welcoming, and accessible space that will feature community garden beds, outdoor group gathering space, and a marked walking path, designed to serve our clients, their families and staff.

Thank you to The First Federal Bank Foundation for awarding us a grant towards our $30,000 goal to build The Retreat at Meridian. Any size contributions are welcome to fund The Retreat at Meridian can be completed online at theamazinggive.org/organizations/mymeridianhealthcare or mbhci.org/giving/.
With your support, this space will serve generations to come — strengthening resilience not just in individuals, but across our entire community.

Meridian Healthcare is a comprehensive community behavioral healthcare organization located in North Central Florida. With services available throughout the North Central Florida, Meridian maintains 12 patient service centers including: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Putnam, Marion, Levy, Suwannee, and Union. Meridian is CARF accredited and licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Agency For Healthcare Administration. It is our mission that together we’ll transform communities from the inside out, by providing life-changing behavioral healthcare. For more information, visit mymeridianhealthcare.org/ and follow Meridian Healthcare on social media @mymeridianhealthcare.com.