Page 68 - November2026LifeInNaples

Naples Changes People

Nikki Audia
Director of Philanthropy, Naples Cancer Advisors

eople come "Community isn’t something you simply live in.
here from
Pall different It is something you contribute to."
places, bringing
their own stories,
experiences, careers, quietly going through a difficult season. It The parents.
and backgrounds. might be someone sitting across the room The retirees.
And somewhere at a gala who has never told anyone what The newcomers who have only been
along the way, many of them become part they are facing. here a short time but already feel called to
of something bigger than themselves. It might be the person whose name give back.
They become part of a social fabric where you never learn. It is in the people who quietly make
giving back isn’t simply encouraged—it Sometimes giving back means filling a this community stronger every single day.
becomes part of the culture. box at a food drive. Sometimes it means And perhaps that is why Naples is
They start asking, How can I help? volunteering your time. Sometimes truly the full package.
And that is when you begin to it means raising your paddle at a gala Yes, come for the beaches.
understand the Naples beneath the because you believe in the mission and Come for the restaurants.
surface. want to help change someone’s life. Come for the sunshine and those
I grew up here. I know the history. I And sometimes, it is simply asking sunsets that are like no other.
know the neighborhoods, the streets, the someone, “What can I do?” But stay long enough to experience
places that have changed and the places I have learned so much about the people.
that somehow feel exactly the same. I philanthropy over this past year, but Because that is where the real magic
have watched Naples grow from the perhaps the greatest lesson has been this: is.
community I knew as a child into the Community isn’t something you simply Naples has changed me, too.
incredible city it is today. live in. It is something you contribute to. It has reminded me that a hometown
I thought I knew Naples. That is what I believe it means to be a isn’t defined only by the places you
I knew its history. true local. remember or the years you have spent
I knew its beauty. Not simply knowing where there. It is defined by the people you
But this past year, through my work in everything is, but knowing that we have a meet, the lives you touch, and the
philanthropy and community engagement responsibility to one another. difference you choose to make.
with Naples Cancer Advisors, I have To show up. I am incredibly proud to call Naples
come to know something much more To lend a helping hand. home.
important. To give when we can. And after all these years, I thought I
I have come to know its people. To care even when we don’t personally knew my city.
And in getting to know its people, I know the person who needs it. Now I realize I was only beginning to
feel like I have finally come to understand Naples has a remarkable way understand it.
my city. of bringing people together. Our Because I know the people.
My hometown. community is filled with people who have And now, I truly understand the heart
The place I am so proud to call home. achieved incredible things, but what I of Naples.
Philanthropy has taught me that giving find most inspiring is how many choose A community filled with empathy.
back is about so much more than writing to use what they have to help others. A community filled with purpose.
a check. It is about showing up. It is That is the part of Naples you don’t A community filled with helping
about time, compassion, relationships, and always see in a photograph. hands.
purpose. It is in the volunteers. A community that gives.
You never really know who you are The nonprofit leaders. And a community that, in so many
helping. The donors. ways, changes you.
It might be the person standing beside The small-business owners. That is Naples.
you at a food drive. It might be a family The healthcare workers. And I am blessed to call it home.

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