Lending a Helping Hand to Fight Hunger

Our Daily Bread Food Pantry’s financial picture for 2018 has brightened considerably thanks to the Island Angels charitable organization.

A recent Island Angels fundraiser generated $27,552 for the nonprofit, which Island Angels co-founder Paula Cummings said takes a big chunk out of Our Daily Bread’s roughly $30,000 annual operating budget.

Formed in the fall of 2014 by Cummings, and fellow Marco residents Colleen Popoff, Nancy Theis and Terry Degeneffe, Island Angels is dedicated to planning and hosting fundraising events for local charities.

“Every year we like to pick a charity that has a specific need or needs help raising funds for something they’re doing locally, here on Marco or in Naples,” said Cummings.

Based at the Family Church on Winterberry Drive, Our Daily Bread provides food, twice a month, to needy residents of Marco, Goodland, the Isles of Capri, East Naples and the surrounding areas.

“We found out about Island Angels three years ago, when they started,” said Cummings. “After Hurricane Irma came through, we knew there was more need than ever in our community among people who needed extra help with things that were going on in their lives and with food to put on the table for their families.” That led her and other Island Angels members to visit the food to get familiarized with the operation.

“We got to know the staff and they’re trying to do some really collaborative things with other groups in the area,” said Cummings. “So we thought that if we could help them raise enough money to cover their expenses for the year, they would feel more free and have time to explore things they can continue to do to help our community and the surrounding area.”

About 60 people attended the fundraiser Cummings and her husband Bob held at their home. The event featured food catered by the kitchen at St. Matthew’s House in Naples, cocktails and live music provided by the Naples band “Woodwork.”

Liz Pecora, who co-directs Our Daily Bread with Nancy Kot, Joanne Lundquist and Vicki Johnson, was profoundly grateful for the donation and for being chosen as the recipient of the Island Angels sole annual fundraiser.

“First of all, we had to pick ourselves up off the floor,” she said. “This was our first time being offered this opportunity, which means everything because we are all-volunteer. It’s not helping us; it’s helping the families in the community.”

Kot expressed gratitude for the backing Marco and the surrounding area have provided for the food bank.

“The community support is just absolutely amazing for Our Daily Bread and our outreach programs,” she said.

For more information about Our Daily Bread, visit fbcmarco.com/connect/ our-daily-bread. For more information about the Island Angels, send an email to marcoislandangels@gmail.com.