CHAPTER 171
Caught in the Act of Kindness - July 2024
Celebrating individuals, groups and organizations that share their time, talent and treasure to meet the needs in our community.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
The Naples Woman's Club selected forty-one Collier County residents to receive scholarships totaling $289,500. The 2024 recipients ranged from first generation college students to mature women returning to college after raising a family.
Samantha Buron, Ena Francis, Mark Ain, Estefano Franco, Gabriella Juca
Mark Ain, a grateful patient turned donor, pledged $4 million through Lee Health Foundation — a pledge that will endow the Ain Heart of Caring program in perpetuity to allow nursing staff from across the spectrum to pursue college degrees.
Fundraising teams, local companies and individual donors raised a record $534,000 to support home-building efforts for female-led households by Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties. It was the largest single-year fundraising total in Women Build history for Lee and Hendry counties.
After donating nearly $11,000 of his bar mitzvah money in 2022 to help end veterans’ homelessness, local teen, Herman, recently returned to Warrior Homes of Collier with an additional donation — $1,600 worth of grocery store gift cards for the residents of Warrior Homes of Collier — in honor of his late grandfather, a World War II fighter pilot.
NAMI Collier CEO Beth Hatch congratulates Julie Blauman of Healthcare Network, which brought nearly 100 employees and supporters to the annual Hope Shines Walk for mental health awareness. Photo: NAMI Collier.
NAMI Collier County hosted its 22nd Annual Hope Shines Walk, raising over $40,000 to help children, adults, their families and caregivers navigate a mental health diagnosis. Community and business support of the event included a $10,000 sponsorship from the Zellers Family and Tamiami Auto Group of Tamiami Ford, Tamiami Hyundai and Genesis of Naples. A special gift of $50,000 from Elizabeth Star was also announced to support the launch of the Ambassador’s Circle of Hope Program.
Children engaged with a GiverTV educational video at the Marco YMCA.
The Community Trust Fund of The League Club, Inc. awarded Charity for Change a $10,000 grant to assist in the production of 22 new educational videos, GiverTV, to support the development of resilience and mental well-being in Pre-K to 5th-grade students.
Sunshine Ace Hardware raised $33,811 to enhance pediatric care in Southwest Florida through the company’s 2024 Spring Round Up, a one-month fundraising initiative to support Children’s Miracle Network.
Pace Center for Girls, Lee raised nearly $33,000 during its FUNky Fashion Show — an event featuring one-of-a-kind outfits made from completely recycled and repurposed materials.
Joseph Smith, Martin Johnson, Josh Wartchow and Giovann Soriano
Shy Wolf Sanctuary joined forces with Home Base Florida to provide Veterans and military families an opportunity to participate in Shy Wolf Sanctuary’s Healing Hearts Program, an educational and peaceful encounter with the resident animals who oftentimes are abandoned and/or come from abusive/neglectful situations, offering healing for both the Veterans and the animals. Following the encounter, the Veterans assisted in a volunteer project around the sanctuary to help with hurricane preparation by clearing loose debris.
Collier Senior Center-Golden Gate was awarded a $30,000 unconditional grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation for the charity’s Emergency Direct Assistance Program.
Elizabeth K. Galeana Charitable Foundation, Inc. awarded a $30,000 grant to Books for Collier Kids to help with their mission of providing a steady stream of new books to children in low-income families throughout Collier County.
Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties raised the walls on the first two homes in its new Carolina Cove neighborhood, a new affordable housing community being built in Bonita Springs. Residents of the Pelican Landing and The Colony gated communities volunteered alongside Habitat staff and future homeowners to raise the first set of walls on two attached twin-villa homes.
Royal Palm Golf Club hosted a Pro-Am tournament to benefit Avow Foundation, raising more than $22,000 to support Avow’s mission. Avow also benefitted from Vineyards Country Club’s concert on its green, featuring the seven-piece rock and soul band, Deb and the Dynamics, which raised more than $7,500.
Bridgestone Retail Operations, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, donated a 2023 Ford Transit XLT passenger van and $25,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County.
Mary Ann Lillie, Martha Rozman, Sue Vail, Nancy Woolf, Kim Stephens, Doris McGuire, Jessica Campbell, Helen Bernd, Anne Girod, Michelle Smead & Lisa Korte
The women of Greater Naples Leadership Class XXVI came together at a book folding class to support an important cause: period poverty and its effects on well-being. They collected an amazing 1,372 period products to donate to the Alliance for Period Supplies.
Victim Advocate Jackie Borchers and Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk welcomed the newest recruit, a Crisis Care Canine named Readington, to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office during a recent “Hand-Off” Ceremony at Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs — the same nonprofit who donated Readington to CCSO through its new Crisis Care Canine Program.
Women’s Health Forum Committee Member and Volunteer Marilyn Varcoe PhD; CCMS President Gary Swain MD; Women’s Health Forum Chair Catherine Kowal MD
Collier County Medical Society and the Foundation of CCMS hosted the 15th Annual Women’s Health Forum, raising $6,550 for its ongoing efforts to be a health resource for residents and visitors in Collier County.
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.
