First Horizon Foundation Presents Grant to St. Matthew’s House

St. Matthew’s House has received a grant for $12,500 from the First Horizon Foundation, a charitable foundation of the First Horizon Bank, with the support of David Gordley, Naples Market President, EVP. The grant will provide funds to help support the St. Matthew’s House homeless shelter program. 

“One of First Horizon Bank’s core values is caring about people, and we partner with organizations sharing those values. We believe in the St. Matthew’s House mission and stewardship, and have been inspired through witnessing, firsthand, the difference that their team members and resources have made in Collier County,” notes Gordley. “First Horizon Bank is proud to support St. Matthew’s House through our First Horizon Foundation. As a premiere financial institution, we are committed to elevating equity and contributing to the overall health and wellbeing of members of our community. We trust that this contribution to the homeless shelter program will leave a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.”

St. Matthew’s House operates the only homeless shelters in Collier County — the Campbell Lodge in Naples and Friendship House in Immokalee — that provide emergency shelter, basic necessities and wraparound services to those experiencing homelessness in Southwest Florida.

St. Matthew’s House shelters 400 men, women and children every night. However, existing capacity is insufficient to meet current and growing needs, and there is always a waiting list. To better address this issue, St. Matthew’s House is working to increase the capacity of the Campbell Lodge shelter by 46 beds. 

St. Matthew’s House also operates soup kitchens, mobile food pantries, transitional and permanent supportive housing facilities, substance abuse recovery programs, and employment training initiatives. Programs and services are designed to empower those experiencing homelessness, food insecurity and addiction to prepare for a life of self-sufficiency. “The need for these services has increased exponentially as a result of the continuing economic fallout from the pandemic, Hurricane Ian and rising inflation,” says St. Matthew’s House CEO Steve Brooder. 

“We are deeply grateful for the support of First Horizon Bank and the First Horizon Foundation. This grant will help to support our mission to provide hope, help and healing to individuals and families facing some of life’s most difficult challenges and to provide them with the tools to move from instability to stability,” concludes Brooder.

For more information, visit www.stmatthewshouse.org, call 239-774-0500 or follow the organization's social media and YouTube pages.