Caught in the Act of Kindness - September 2022
Celebrating individuals, groups and organizations that share their time, talent and treasure to meet the needs in our community.
Kindness is a language that the blind can see and the deaf can hear. ~ Mark Twain
CHAPTER 102
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. If you have a related high-resolution photo, please include that as well.
Baby Basics diaper delivery volunteers, along with St. Elizabeth Seton's Operations Manager, Beverly Aviles (second from left), and Father Casey (far right)
Baby Basics of Collier County recently opened a new diaper distribution site at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Golden Gate.
Zoom Speech Class
The Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida (PASWFL) was awarded a grant from the Moorings Park Foundation Board to support the expansion of its six weekly speech therapy exercise programs.
Volunteers with puppies in training to become assistance dogs, (L to R): Claire Licciardi (with Marco), Debbie Loverde (with Hansen), Linda Shepherd (with Batts), Karen Rakow (with Bill), Mary Chaffee (with Stella), Lisa Quetti (with Harley), Laurie Wireman (with Remy), JoAnn Agostinelli (with Sloke) and Alberta Amici (with Kelsey)
Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs’ volunteers donated over 32,000 hours of community service in 2021.
Community School Naples junior Zach Smitley started a charitable foundation, called Smiles for Medellín, to gather clothing donations and buy necessary school supplies for 469 students in Medellín in Colombia, his parents’ homeland.
Elite DNA Behavioral Health hosted a Back-to-School Supplies Drive that collected 4,200 items of school supplies for area students.
Pace Center for Girls, Lee’s Love That Dress! shopping event raised $130,000.
Dick Blevins (Noon Rotarian) Teri Lamaine (Executive Director BSAO) Jim Fabray (Noon Rotarian)
Blackjack Pizza & Salads in Bonita Springs donated pizza to Bonita Assistance Office and YMCA of Southwest Florida.
Collier Community Foundation awarded a record $43.1 million in grants in FY 2022 to nonprofit agencies and scholarships for secondary education and specialized training, including $14.1 million in CCF Donor-Advised Fund grants and $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds distributed to local food pantries.
Mila Bridger with new photo created for Ukraine
Local photographer Mila Bridger sells photography to support a Ukrainian family in need.
New CSU waiting room
David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC) received a $250,000 social and human services grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation (RMSFF) Board of Directors.
Collier Resource Center received a $25,000 grant from the Moorings Park Foundation to expand outreach to seniors.
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation awarded Grace Place Children and Families with a $15,000 grant to help Golden Gate high school students be college and career ready. Grace Place also received $15,000 from Collier Community Foundation to help combat the continuing issue of food insecurity within the Golden Gate City community.
The Fifth Avenue South Business Improvement District partnered with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 38 to host a special “Evening on Fifth” event to fundraise for charitable programs benefiting the community.
David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health announced an initiative to bring state-of-the-art research and treatments for neurocognitive disorders to Southwest Florida.
(front row) Sgt. Natalie Ashby, Jazmine R., Ashyah C., Debora M., Jayden M. (back row) Cheyanne T., Yuritza F., Kasandra G., Perla R., Vanessa CS, Irene Correa. Photo credit: Sharon Tolnai
Two sergeants from the SWAT team of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office visited Pace Center for Girls, Collier at Immokalee where Sergeant Natalie Ashby shared her life lessons and the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Correction:
The last chapter of Caught in the Act of Kindness had an error for which we apologize. Below are the correct, separate listings.
Naples Senior Center received an $80,000 grant from the Women’s Foundation of Collier County through the Collier Community Foundation.
Collier Senior Center – Golden Gate was awarded a $57,000 Moorings Park Foundation grant supporting the nonprofit’s UPSLIDE and Direct Assistance Programs.