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More Blessed

to give

Technically Speaking
by Dave Trecker

he generosity of the Naples community never ceases
T
to amaze. Philanthropists large and small come through
year after year with donations to the less fortunate –
donations of time, books, food and lots of money.
2022 has been no exception.
• The Neighborhood Health Clinic continues to provide “The simple act of donating food comes with the gift of hope,”
medical care to the needy. said Barbara Devin.
• Liberty Youth Ranch is a beacon for homeless youth, a Lorna McLain of St. Matthew’s House called it a godsend, “a
remarkable example of selfless giving. wonderful example of how communities can help those in need.”
• The Guadalupe Center collects and distributes all manner of While generosity is a year-round business, many charities are
goods, clothes and household items for those in need. most active at Christmas time. One of my favorites is Toys for
Then there are the many churches and synagogues with strong Tots, a national program run by the Salvation Army, no slouch
missionary commitments. The Naples United Church of Christ when it comes to helping the poor.
partners with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to provide a Donation sites look like toy stores, with bicycles lined up and
safety net for migrant field hands. stacks of books and board games. Last year, according to organizer
We all know of the Naples Wine Festival, an annual Joanne Hobin, a single neighborhood donated over 5,000 toys.
extravaganza that brings in millions for the Naples Children & Multiply that by many neighborhoods, and you get some idea of
Education Foundation. This year, with the theme “Rise Up: Twenty the impact. This year should be even better.
Twenty Twogether,” the festival auctioned off high-end wine from And giving isn’t limited to material goods. Hands-on
21 vintners and raised a whopping $23 million. counseling can make a difference. A good example is the
Less flamboyant, but a wonderful grassroots example is the mentoring project Guadalupe runs for Hispanic youth in the
“Stock the Pantry” food drive, a wildly successful neighborhood Immokalee area. Four programs, starting in preschool, match
charity that provides packaged goods for St. Matthew’s House. hundreds of young people with dedicated mentors who guide
Barbara Davin and Julie Wade started the program 18 months them one-on-one through high school and beyond.
ago in Pelican Bay in the midst of the pandemic, tapping into the A friend and former colleague, Tom Brand, who has been
generosity of residents weary from being shut in. Under these mentoring for over 20 years, says it’s great volunteer work and
less-than-ideal circumstances, they collected an astonishing very rewarding. “Students we counsel,” he said, “are often the
amount of food and money. first in their families to go to college.” Bob Spano, who manages
This year has been even better. Partnering with the Pelican Bay the overall program, tells of a mentored student who went on to
Rotary Club, the Germain Honda and Germain Lexus dealers and college, then medical school. She now works as a physician in
Club Pelican Bay, they found willing participants in 60 condo and Lee Memorial Hospital – not a bad return on investment.
homeowner associations. That’s the equivalent of 5,400 doors, a lot All in all, it’s a pretty impressive scorecard. Summing up,
of donors. Julie Wade says, “Never underestimate the generosity of people.”
In just five days enough canned goods and other packaged food She’s right. And in helping the less fortunate, the Naples
was collected to fill dozens of bins, the largest food drive in community is second to none.
St. Matthew’s House history – enough to feed 6,000 families!

70 Life in Naples | May, June, July 2022