CHAPTER 226
Caught in the Act of Kindness - October 2026
Celebrating individuals, groups and organizations that share their time, talent and treasure to meet the needs in our community.
"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
Women’s Foundation of Collier presenting a $45,000 grant to NAMI Collier County CEO Beth Hatch.
Women’s Foundation of Collier County granted $45,000 to NAMI Collier County in support of the organization’s outreach to senior women to decrease social isolation and improve mental wellbeing. The program will hire a new community outreach staff member to build relationships with low-income senior women in senior living communities, ensuring that they have access to NAMI Collier’s comprehensive mental health programming, life skills activities and wrap-around services.
Champions for Learning CEO Dr. Eric Williams with members of the Suncoast team
The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation gave $245,000 to Champions For Learning to support programs benefiting Collier County students and educators. The generous gift continues Suncoast’s 27-year partnership with Champions For Learning, helping create educational opportunities for students and provide resources and recognition for educators.
A Baby Basics mom and her baby pick up their monthly diapers.
Baby Basics received a $5,000 program grant from the Collier Community Foundation. This generous funding will supply more than a year’s worth of diapers for multiple babies in need, further advancing the organization’s mission to assist hardworking, low-income Collier County families.
Naples Woman’s Club awarded $226,353 in grants to three leading Collier County organizations. Path2Freedom’s grant will provide trauma-informed support for rescued adolescent girls, the A.N.A.’s Friends grant supports the organization’s program that empowers children to process trauma while creating joyful memories and genuine peer connections, and Children’s Advocacy Center will use its grant to provide art therapy for children who have experienced abuse, supporting healthy development and good long-term outcomes.
Stephanie Green, United Way Board Member; Nancy Palumbo, Executive Operations Manager; Tammy Richelieu, IFHA Executive Director; and Todd Lyon, United Way Board Chair
United Way of Collier and the Keys generously contributed $10,000 to the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance to support the construction of its STEAM Learning & Opportunity Playground. This investment will provide children in IFHA’s community with a safe, engaging space to learn, explore, play, and connect through hands-on activities.
Tijuano Toledo, PACE Center for Girls; Heidi Guimond, Pathways Early Education;
Linda Pearson, President of Zonta Club of Naples; and Wendy Wagner, Guadalupe Center
Zonta Club of Naples donated $1,000 each to Guadalupe Center, Pathways Early Education Center and PACE Center for Girls for school supplies.
Credit: Collaboratory
Collaboratory staff presented $90,000 in Arts and Animals field-of-interest grants.
Collaboratory awarded $90,000 in Arts and Animals grants to the following 14 organizations with distinct programs and services enriching the community: Alliance of the Arts, Arts Bonita, Florida Repertory Theatre, Gulf Coast Symphony, The Fort Myers Community Concert Association, The Music Foundation of Southwest Florida, Caloosa Humane Society, Cape Coral Animal Shelter and Veterinary Clinic, Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue, Gulf Coast Humane Society, Haven on Earth Animal League, Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary, The Animal Refuge Center, and The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
Students in Champions for Learning’s Pathways to Success Program
The Education Foundation of Collier County – Champions For Learning received a charitable grant of $225,000 from the Naples Children Foundation to support students in the Pathways to Success Program during Fiscal Year 2027.
Bank of the Islands’ Teller Operations Supervisor Heather Harrison with Winners Alex Werner and Karen Storjohann and CROW Executive Director Alison Charney Hussey
Bank of the Islands, through its We Love Our Islands program and winners Karen Storjohann and Alex Werner, donated $800 to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW).
CPE's team of licensed clinical social workers, mental health counselors, master clinicians, case managers, and peer support specialists
Zonta Club of Fort Myers issued a $2,500 grant to Crisis Prevention & Empowerment (CPE), a nonprofit dedicated to providing free and affordable mental health support throughout Southwest Florida. The funds will strengthen CPE’s crisis intervention, wrap-around behavioral health case management, peer support, health education and referral services, empowering individuals to transition from immediate crisis and limited access to care toward longer-term stability and connection.
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.
