Over the past year-plus filled with hardships, economic downturn, and a major hurricane, a Cape Coral non-profit has committed to helping those in need while going above and beyond in their service to community.

The Cape Coral Caring Center has stood firm in its commitment to support and uplift residents of Lee County and the Cape, and has not only met, but exceeded its mission to assist those dealing with economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstances.

Last year at the Center, members helped over 4,000 families and distributed more than a staggering 250,000 pounds of food.

“Things are slowly getting better after Hurricane Ian; we do still see people who are still putting their lives back together after losing everything,” said CCCC Executive Director Julie Ferguson. “We do our best to help our clients with their emergency needs and work to get them in touch with other resources to meet other needs.”

The Caring Center from ’22 to ’23 provided utility support to 66 families totaling more than $14,000. When it comes to emergency support services; from 43 emergency clothing vouchers to 12 31-day bus passes for job seekers, the Center’s efforts spanned various essential services, providing a lifeline in times of crisis.

“The cost of living has gone up and unfortunately, is continuing to increase,” Ferguson said. “With increases, including housing, our working families are having real difficulties. At the Cape Coral Caring Center, we are seeing many families every day that, after paying bills, they find they cannot afford to buy groceries. We give food very generously as we do not want people in our community to be hungry and we know it is a real issue. We give all types of food, perishable and nonperishable, including fruits, vegetables, eggs, and dairy products. We want to give people a nice variety of good food because having good food shows extra kindness to people who are having a difficult time. Giving good, healthy as possible food, keeps all in our community healthy and that is good for everyone.”

With the current school year coming to a close at the end of May, the Cape Coral Caring Center emphasizes the growing need for contributions towards its Healthy Not Hungry Kids Program. Community members are encouraged to support through donations of supplies or financially through the Center’s website, ensuring that every child continues to receive the nourishment and educational support they deserve.

“Some years ago, we realized that our families needed extra help during the summer. People saw their expenses go up in the summer while their incomes often go down,” Ferguson said. “One of those big expenses was that children are home for the summer and hungry all the time. To address this issue, we began the Healthy Not Hungry Kids Bag program.”

Bags that are distributed contain as-healthy-as-possible, kid-friendly food that are designed to feed a child for roughly one week. Ferguson said each child in the family can receive a bag once in June, July, and August while school is out for the summer.

“This program is probably the most important of all our many programs because our children need proper nutrition to survive and thrive,” Ferguson said. “We expect to have a huge need for our Healthy not Hungry Bags this summer, and are preparing now to meet the need. This is an expensive program, however, the health of our children is worth it. A happy family is one that has good food in the house.”

CCCC officials said this year also saw the engagement of significant partnerships aimed at enhancing the Center’s capacity to serve the community. Joining forces with the Red Cross, the Center has become a Resilient Hub, focusing on improving emergency response for families throughout Lee County. Additionally, a collaboration with Goodwill provides crucial services directly from the Center twice a week, facilitating access to essential state aid programs such as Access Florida, SNAP, and Medicaid.

“The support from our community is critical to meet our needs,” Ferguson said. “Businesses, churches, neighborhood associations, families having food drives, are wonderful and appreciated. Every dollar donated is worth as much as $8, so all donations of any size are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Our community has always come to our aid, and we appreciate it very much. We are grateful to our most generous community.”

The Caring Center accepts donations of all types of food, toiletries, cleaning products and pet food. The Center’s main objectives are to assist individuals and families in critical need to help them cope with a negative economic situation on a short-term basis. The center provides food, electric bill assistance and referrals to other agencies with additional resources for individuals.

“At the Cape Coral Caring Center, our clients are not number, they are individuals, and each person is treated with kindness and respect,” Ferguson said. “Many clients come in with the weight of the world on their shoulders and we want to help lighten that load and have them leave our building refreshed, smiling and ready to face the world with answers to their problems.”

To make a monetary donation or to see what foods are currently needed, visit capecoralcaringcenter.org, or call 239-945-1927.

The Cape Coral Caring Center is at 1420 Southeast 47th St.