Latchkey League states MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Officials of the Naples Latchkey League today reach out to their Collier County volunteers with gratitude for their great support in accomplishing the organization’s goals.

Back in 2013, upon retirement, Myra Janco Daniels, founder and former CEO of the
Philharmonic Center for The Arts in Naples, agreed to take on one more challenge. Mrs. Daniels
had retired from Draper Daniels in Chicago as President and came to SW Florida where she then created the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. She had always surrounded herself with hundreds of volunteers.

She was asked to chair a capital campaign for the construction of a Youth Center for the
Salvation Army. The moment she accepted she was again surrounded by hundreds of volunteers
who were anxious to join her. With a 501C3, Latchkey League was founded, and the project was
underway. The mission was to help create and launch a facility which was badly needed for
educational, cultural and recreational programs for after-school supervision of Collier County
children.

Now seven years later, the Fran Cohen Youth Center is a reality and fulfilling that need with
many Latchkey volunteers devoting time with students in the after-school programming.

League President, Judy Tedder commented on the popular format of multiple events per season
which has been totally impacted by the emergence of Covid 19.

In cancelling the programming and dissolving the organization, she is quick to thank the community for past support. Tedder said, “our board of directors wishes to express gratitude to the many sponsors, donors, the wonderful people who attended our events over the past seven years, our volunteers and the media support. All this enabled funding for the youth center and many latchkey needs.”

Mrs. Daniels noted that, “we have been a very successful organization since our founding in
2013 with many latchkey children being supported to learn and grow through the grants we were able to bestow. We have accomplished our mission.

The remaining $250,000 will be given to the Community Foundation to administer to qualifying local charities who will fulfill the needs for latchkey children over the next decade according to Mrs. Daniels.

“What could be more important than devoting your time and money to the future of a child,” is a
favorite statement of Daniels.

 

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