CHAPTER 173
Caught in the Act of Kindness - August 2024
Celebrating individuals, groups and organizations that share their time, talent and treasure to meet the needs in our community.
“The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers.” ~ Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts Founder
Youth Haven Gift Officer Wotts Mercy, GL Homes Vice President/Project Manager Dianna Betancourt; Youth Haven/Rob’s Cottage Resident Johane Saintil; Youth Haven Chief Development Officer Peter Johnson.
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GL Homes Vice President/Project Manager Dianna Betancourt hosted Youth Haven resident Johane Saintil on a shopping spree, courtesy of the GL Homes Good Night’s Sleep Initiative, to prepare her for college life.
Left: Wilkens 'Chris' Sylfroid and Cristobal Molina-Bays
Right: Shania Petit-Homme
Lee Health Foundation awarded Barbara’s Friends Scholarships to three local students: Cristobal Molina-Bays, a childhood cancer survivor, and Shaina Petit-Homme and Wilkens “Chris” Sylfroid, both of whom are battling lifelong sickle cell disease.
The Housing Alliance soft launch with Collier Community Foundation Eileen Connolly-Keesler presenting
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The Housing Alliance, a new nonprofit organization formed to provide information, education and advocacy for accessing and developing attainable housing solutions in Collier County, was awarded a $200,000 community leadership grant from Collier Community Foundation.
Jenny Hay APS Board member, Maryanne Dignan APS Board member, Dusti Beaubien APS Board President, Susan Harris APS Board Secretary, and Susan Nicoletti, Shadow Wood Foundation Board Liaison.
Skylar O’Reilly, Board of Directors, Alliance for Period Supplies of SWFL accepts a grant from Mary Ann Lillie, President of The League Club.
The Alliance for Period Supplies of SWFL received $30,000 from the Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation to purchase 285,120 period products for at-risk women and girls. The organization also received a $40,000 grant from The League Club.
Suncoast Credit Union recently covered 100% of the costs of a new 15-passenger student transport van for The Immokalee Foundation. The Immokalee Foundation also received a $40,000 grant from the Women's Foundation of Collier County to support girls participating in the Foundation's Middle School Program.
George Delgado, Dayan Ponce de Leon, Jesus Delgado, Raymond Rodriguez
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County’s 12th annual No Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament attracted 120 card sharks and poker fanatics who helped raise $52,500 to support club programs.
Fun Time Early Childhood Academy received a $35,000 grant by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation to be used for supporting initiatives to enhance the quality of its programs as well as strategic expansion initiatives to serve more low-income working families.
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida received a financial gift of $28,450 awarded from The League Club to support its Mobile Community Resource Center.
Bank of America check presented by Carina Guillard (second from right) and received by President and CEO of Champions For Learning Barbara Evans (third from right) and student interns.
Bank of America awarded $15,000 to The Education Foundation of Collier County — Champions For Learning to support its array of student programs.
David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health was awarded a $15,000 grant from Bank of America to support its Veterans’ Services Program.
Hadinger Flooring hosted its 17th Annual Classic Golf Tournament raising $15,000 for local nonprofit Avow which will directly impact Avow's mission to provide compassionate care to people in Southwest Florida living with chronic and life-limiting illnesses.
The Isles of Collier Preserve Community Foundation awarded YMCA of Collier County a $5,000 grant to provide necessary funding to bolster its Youth in Government program, enriching and expanding teen leadership initiatives across the community.
Bank of America awarded a $20,000 grant to St. Matthew’s House to support a new Women & Children’s Shelter in Fort Myers to provide 11 private dorms for women with children and 28 beds for single women.
Divergent Inspiration on display in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Grand Atrium.
Photo credit: Zee Anna Photography
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The Marcus Jansen Foundation Fund awarded a $2,500 grant to the STARability Foundation for “Divergent Inspiration – an Inclusive Art Exhibit by STARability Foundation,” which was on display earlier this year at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers.
The Marco Island Woman’s Club Charitable Foundation made a $2,000 donation to Marco Island Historical Society, donating the inaugural gift toward a campaign to raise funds to restore the six-foot bronze sculpture of the Key Marco Cat that has stood in the Marco Island Historical Museum courtyard since 2010.
Jim Fabry and Gary Dworkin, members of the Bonita Naples Rotary Club, received a $1,000 donation from Michael Boyd, the founder of Naples All Star Events, for the Wheelchair Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide wheelchairs to children, teens and adults worldwide who need one but cannot afford it.
Charles Schwab employees volunteered at the Grace Place for Children and Families food pantry, dedicating time and energy to making a difference in the lives of community members.
Elite DNA Behavioral Health recently hosted its Mental Health Awareness Month food drive, collecting approximately 1,338 pounds of food to distribute to families across the state through several Feeding Florida chapters, including Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida.
For consideration in Caught in the Act of Kindness, email an example of how an individual, group or organization went above and beyond to help those in need to inspireme@ebellamag.com. Please include a related high-resolution photo as well.
