Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in Southwest Florida, is excited to announce it has named the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, as the Donor of the Month for October 2023. Harry Chapin Food Bank presented NCEF CEO Maria Jimenez-Lara with the recognition on Nov. 2 at the Naples Children & Education Foundation, 2590 Goodlette-Frank Road.

            The recognition honors donors, both organizations and individuals, who go above and beyond in their support for Harry Chapin Food Bank. 

            “We are incredibly grateful to call NCEF a partner in our fight against hunger in Southwest Florida,” said Stuart Haniff, the chief development officer at Harry Chapin Food Bank. “NCEF has proven time and time again that it is committed to working with partners to ensure that no child in Collier County goes hungry and their unwavering support is vital in the fulfillment of our mission.”

            As part of its strategic initiative focused on hunger, NCEF works with partner organizations to provide nutritious food to children and their families who struggle with food insecurity. The NCEF Children’s Hunger Initiative is an innovative approach and partnership to food access enables deliveries to remote and needful sections of Collier County using large, refrigerated trucks. 

            Since the inception of this initiative, nearly 30 million meals have been provided to children and families through mobile pantry distributions in underserved communities, such as Golden Gate and Immokalee, through Harry Chapin Food Bank. 

            In 2023, Harry Chapin Food Bank received $1.8 million over three years to continue supporting the Lunch Boxes of Love initiative. 

            “We know that proper nutrition is crucial to establishing a strong foundation that has long-term implications on a children’s future, whether that be their physical and mental health, academic achievement or economic productivity,” said NCEF CEO Maria Jimenez-Lara. “We are proud to partner with Harry Chapin Food Bank to ensure that underserved communities throughout Collier County have access to healthy food.”

            According to Feeding America, more than 135,250 people in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties faced food insecurity in 2021. Approximately 32,200 of those people lived in Collier County, and 7,110 of those were children. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.

            Now in its 40th year, Harry Chapin Food Bank feeds more than 250,000 people each month through a variety of food distribution programs. 

About Harry Chapin Food Bank

Harry Chapin Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida. The food bank rescues food that would otherwise go to waste and distributes it to children, families, and seniors who are hungry through a series of food distribution programs that feed more than a quarter of a million people each month.

Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed $61.5 million worth of food in fiscal year 2022. Through our food distribution programs, we supplied 34.7 million pounds of food and other grocery items, including 12 million pounds of fresh produce. The food is the equivalent of 29 million meals distributed to those who are hungry.

Our membership with Feeding America enables us to amplify our food and distribution efforts and bring in food from various retail and grocery stores, national food producers and distributors, and growers locally, nationally, and even internationally.

Harry Chapin Food Bank is proud to be named a Blueprint Partner by the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. Harry Chapin Food Bank is also a United Way partner agency. For more information or to make a gift, please call 239.334.7007 or visit harrychapinfoodbank.org.

About Naples Children & Education Foundation

The Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, is improving the educational, emotional and health outcomes of underprivileged and at-risk children. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCEF has impacted 90 of the most effective nonprofits in the community, providing more than 300,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel. NCEF’s unique approach, which emphasizes collaboration between organizations and bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community, one issue at a time.”

Contacts: 

Ryan Uhler, Harry Chapin Food Bank, 239-334-7007 x108 (o), 239-822-9560 (c), ruhler@harrychapinfoodbank.org

Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, 239-275-5758, Jenna@GSMA.pro