Now You Know: Our Daily Bread Food Pantry awarded $50,000 grant

Our Daily Bread Food Pantry recently announced that it is the recipient of a $50,000 grant from the Island Country Club Charitable Foundation.

The money will be used to support families and children in Marco Island through Our Daily Bread’s signature Saturday Pantry and Helping Hungry Kids Initiative conducted for students at Marco Island Charter Middle School and summer camps offered by the YMCA, according to the organization.

“Although Marco Island and all of Collier County are often perceived as an enclave for the wealthy, this is not a reality for the workforce who provide the essential services that propel our local economy,” said Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, Ed.D, executive director of Our Daily Bread.

“Without the weekly consistency of our multiple food distribution options, too many of our families would be forced to make the agonizing choice between feeding their children or having the resources to remain housed.

“As one of our long-standing grantors, the Island Club of Marco Island has played a foundational role in our efforts to nourish our neighbors in need, especially the children in our community.”

Byron Farrell of Island Country Club Foundation agrees. “All of us at Island Country Club Foundation of Marco Island understand the importance of supporting our community. We are happy to be partnering with Our Daily Bread Food Pantry to lend a helping hand to our neighbors in Marco Island,” said Farrell.

Last year, children represented 39 percent of the individuals served by Our Daily Bread.

According to research cited by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (July 2023), “Kids who don’t get enough to eat, especially during their first three years, begin life at a serious disadvantage. The impacts of hunger on a child’s physical and mental health are significant, affecting their behavior, academic achievement, and well-being. Children facing food insecurity may struggle in school and beyond.”

Headquartered on Marco Island, Our Daily Bread provides food six days a week through both the Saturday and mobile pantries, for food-insecure families throughout southeast Collier County.

For additional information on Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, visit ourdailybreadfoodpantry.org. 

Collier Senior Center-Golden Gate to host free mini health fair 

The Collier Senior Center-Golden Gate, Collier County’s first nonprofit senior resource center dedicated to addressing the needs of older adults and caregivers, will host a free mini health fair with Healthcare Network from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., today, Tuesday, April 9, at 4898 Coronado Parkway, Naples.

Healthcare Network’s Community Outreach Team will be on-site providing free blood pressure screenings; blood sugar screenings; wellness screenings; tetanus shots; flu vaccines and other healthcare needs.

With providers throughout Collier County, Healthcare Network coordinates care to effectively address every patient’s needs – regardless of job, income or insurance status, making healthcare more accessible to all.

For more information: HealthcareSWFL.org, outreach@healthcareswfl.org, or 239.675.7080.

Newly designed Florida panther license plate available

Looking for a way to show your support of Florida panther conservation? Consider getting the newly designed Protect the Panther license plate whether you are renewing your Florida plates or licensing your car in the state for the first time.

Staff with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worked with photographer Carlton Ward and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to design the new plate.

The latest design features a 2018 photograph depicting a well-known panther — the first female documented north of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973 and also the first female documented to have had kittens north of the river in over 40 years.

The Caloosahatchee River has long appeared to be an obstacle to the natural expansion of the population, including the northward movement of female panthers.

The new license plate can be purchased at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or by checking with your local tax collector office for availability. When renewing vehicles, Florida motorists can exchange their old plates for the new Protect the Panther plate by going in person to your local tax collector office or the FLHSMV. At this time, the new plates are not available through online renewals but can be purchased in person.

Fees from the Protect the Panther license plate go directly into the Florida Panther Research and Management Trust Fund, which is a critical source of funding for the state’s panther-related research, monitoring and conservation efforts.

Florida panthers are native to the state, with the majority of panthers found south of Lake Okeechobee. Florida panthers are listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act. There are approximately 120-230 adult panthers in the population.

To learn more about Florida panthers and the FWC’s work to conserve the species, visit MyFWC.com/Panther.

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