Target CEO Brian Cornell and his wife Martha made a $10 million donation to Florida’s Sarasota Memorial Health Care System to support a new state-off-the-art treatment facility for those struggling with mental health challenges. It will be called the Cornell Family Mental Health Pavilion.

The Cornell family has roots in the Sarasota community, and addressing mental health issues—particularly in the midst of a pandemic that has led to an increase in the number of people struggling with mental wellness—has been a focus for Cornell as leader of the Minneapolis-based retail giant.

“I have the privilege of leading over 350,000 team members, and have seen firsthand the power of creating a culture that is built on care, prioritizes mental health and well being, and provides resources, space, and support for all families,” Cornell said in a statement and recorded video message released Wednesday by the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation. “I’ve also recognized the importance of humanizing this topic—eliminating the stigma that discourages some from seeking the support they need, while increasing access to care that places people at the center. I hope this project shines much-needed light on the importance of comprehensive behavior health care, and spurs others to support this project and others like it across the county.”

Target offered free counseling sessions for employees prior to the pandemic, but amid the heightened challenges of the past year and a half, the company expanded access to counseling services for employees and their entire household. Target Corp. also added more online employee resources including:

• Daylight, a personalized web-based and mobile app designed to help individuals learn and practice proven strategies to navigate stress and worry
• Sleepio, a web-based and mobile app that provides self-help tools to improve sleep
• Grokker, a fitness and wellbeing platform providing support for fitness, nutrition, meditation and financial wellbeing

And Target established a Disability & Mental Health Business Council, which offers resources, support and internal events for employees.

In Sarasota, construction will begin early next year on the Cornell Family Mental Health Pavilion, a $65 million, 95,000-square-foot facility designed to provide centralized care for people affected by mental and behavior health challenge.

Added Martha Cornell, “We know it will change countless lives in Sarasota, a community that has been dear to our family for years, and we hope it inspires change all across the country.”

Cornell, TCB’s 2019 Person of the Year, was recently named “Retail Visionary” by the National Retail Federation.