Fort Myers Nonprofits and Charities

The Quality Life Center has completely transformed my son, Ryan. Under the mentorship of Mrs. Keesha, Mr. Jewels, Mr. Muhammad, and his special mentor, Dedrick Douglas, who has guided him since he was young, Ryan has grown in confidence, leadership, and compassion. The Center not only supports academic excellence but also teaches young people to serve and uplift others. Thanks to Dedrick’s consistent guidance, Ryan has developed a strong sense of responsibility and has now become a Q Teen Leader himself. He has grown into a confident public speaker, a dedicated mentor to younger students, and a young man committed to giving back. The environment at the QLC encourages teamwork, personal growth, and community service, and Ryan has thrived because of it. We will love the Q forever! #ItTakesaVillage

Military Spouse Jobs provides meaningful support to a highly educated yet often undervalued group with limited career opportunities due to frequent relocations and unique challenges. The program does an excellent job of recognizing the talent and experience military spouses bring, while offering practical guidance and sharing valuable knowledge. Through mentorship, training, and career support, they help participants gain new perspectives, build confidence, and identify realistic career paths. Their commitment to professional development and training resources makes a real difference in helping military spouses grow, adapt, and succeed in the workforce.

VetJobs has been a true leader in the field of Veterans and Military Families for many years and continues to lead the way with their expertise and staff. This organization is essential for all military service members and their families for care and stabilization while preparing for civilian life. Please take time to support this organization and its mission for the future of our country.

Under a program set up and managed by the Foundation, I have been a mentor for a local high school student for three years. The Foundation guides and supports my meeting with my mentee weekly - helping us to connect on issues and opportunities in his schooling. Our work together helps Victor keep on track with his school work and explore future opportunities he could consider.

Goodwill has been there for me throughout my college experience and I appreciate how lenient and support everyone has been.

I have been volunteering at this great organization off and on for the past two years. They are run 100% by volunteers. Everyone that works there is cheerful, loving and generous. Over the past year I have seen how much good the pantry has done to help those in need in our community. After Hurricane Ian it has been a lifesaver for many. Our client base continues to grow and donations are much appreciated. You can rest assured that all of the money donated will go straight towards the purchase of food for those in need. Much of the food is also donated by local grocery stores. The president, Biff Staples, is a wonderful dedicated president and the director, Deb Ross, is a very competent director. The organization is well run with no waste and everyone given good direction. I highly recommend giving your time or money to this much needed beneficial charity.

If I could give a possible zero stars I would, but I called to see the possibility of temporarily fostering my cats until I found a stable living environment for myself and my animals after explaining the situation and my current health limitations due to being terminally ill, I was scoffed at and audibly judged. If Karen has an evil older sister, her name is Marcie. I have never been left feeling more violated, judged, and poorly treated. I would never entrust my animals to someone who could be so callous to someone so desperately in need of assistance. She should be ashamed of her behavior and I hope in her last years people are kinder to her than she was to me.

Riverside has been an actively involved community of believers in Jesus Christ for many years.<br>They have a tie to Edgewood Academy when they held services there many years ago before they found property to build a sanctuary. Their people have made sure the students have food and clothes, provided lunches, snacks and classroom supplies for the teachers and even helped clean up the campus after Hurricane Ian.<br>They reached out and offered help for those devastated by Ian and stepped in to clean up flooded property and houses. They also gave out supplies , clothes and food to people in need. I know because I was one of them. They are going to be there to help me pack and move this Friday. I could not of handled it alone.

We were blessed to be gifted this bike for our son. He has been riding his bike every day since we have got it! He loves every minute of biking and being outdoors watching his sister. Jack was a great and personable representative of Save the Kid organization. He made sure our son was comfortable with the bike and showed us how everything worked. It was a pleasure being a part of this process from start to finish. Our family, and especially our son is thankful to have had this experience and gift from Save the Kid. Thank you!

Villas FuNfrai$er committee organized a fun Fall Festival event on Nov 14th, 2020 which benefited the rehabilitation of Villas Civic Association. A caring community that makes it a wonderful place to raise your children.<br><br>

This is a well-run professional orchestra in a community almost too small for music of this quality. The board and staff have engaged quality professional musicians from the state of Florida and beyond to play an aggressive schedule of masterworks, pops, small stage and what they call Brave New Music -stretching the boundaries with live orchestra to film, crossover popular performers and other interesting programs.<br>Like other arts performance organizations without their own venue, they take the performances into the community. This almost sixty-year-old orchestra also includes a far-reaching educational program, taking up the slack where public schools have lost interest. <br>With a budget of about $1.8 million, they are an important employer and contributor to the arts in Southwest Florida.<br>I'm thrilled to have been part of this organization for several decades, watching growth and improvement with constantly growing public acceptance.

I have had very positive experiences working with AAASWFL during the process of applying for Medicaid for my elderly parents. The Elder Hotline is staffed by caring professionals who are patient and knowledgeable. The Long Term Care Specialists are excellent, and again, are patient, professional and so helpful. The online health assessment is made as easy as possible, and despite what you may have heard about applying for Medicaid, the AAASWFL makes this process very comfortable. I find the staff to be compassionate, knowledgeable, and super efficient! I highly recommend reaching out to AAASWFL!

I have been involved with the Children's Advocacy Center as a Pet Therapy volunteer and now as the Pet Therapy Coordinator, for a number of years. The help and guidance that the staff at the Center provide to the children, parents and guardians is invaluable. I think we all have a fervent wish that we never saw another child come through the doors, but unfortunately the horror that is child abuse never seems to stop. Caring, listening and guiding is what the staff at the Center do best.

AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP FOUNDATION.<br>Ft Myers Fl. <br>...I have worked alongside this organization for many many years...they have grown & have served our community well

This trailer park needs to be torn down <br>No one living there is a legal citizen <br>Not up to code <br>A Total dump <br>Drugs being sold there <br>Many dangerous people <br>Also the review by jtobora <br>Well she's the manager of this hellhole <br> <br>

I have worked for several health non-profits for more than 30 years. My last position before retiring was with a major breast cancer organization where I was a director of education and grants. I had the privilege to work with several grantees who did outstanding work. One was Partners for Breast Cancer Care and I was impressed that they worked cooperatively with other agencies trying to find and fund breast services for those who otherwise would have not been able to afford the mammograms or services needed if results showed cancer. I was equally impressed with how much they were able to accomplish with just two employees that are dedicated to the cause. Because of their ability to help both men and women who are in need of breast care services, I continue to volunteer for this fine organization dedicated to helping those in need. Partners continues to produce a high quality of service as well as meeting the needs of the community on many levels.

I can't emphasize enough how vital and important ACT's mission in our local community is. The services provided are invaluable to those who use them. The dedicated staff and wonderful volunteers make this organization a valuable part of recovery for clients.

January 15, 2017<br><br>Salus Care Center<br>Vince Smith Campus<br>2450 Prince Street<br>Fort Myers, FL 33916<br><br>My daughter was admitted into Vince Smith on May 31, 2016. She has been suffering with severe anxiety and depression for years. When she was 12 years old she began cutting, smoking, using drugs and alcohol. Later progressed into lying, stealing, sneaking out all hours of the night and became sexually active. She did not care about herself at all, had a very low self esteem, very insecure with no self confidence. I have tried many things to help her, many different counseling sessions, the David Lawrence Center, the CAT team through Salus Care, PACE school for girls and finally after being interviewed at Vince Smith, we all agreed this was best for her, including my daughter. So she was admitted voluntarily.<br><br>It was tough for her in the beginning; she messed up often, ran once and did get many restrictions. But after about 3 months, I started noticing a change in her. As time went on, I could actually see the transformation. After 4 or 5 months she phased up to 2, and started coming home with home passes. I believed in the program and saw that this place was teaching her the importance of making the right choices, and how to stand up for herself, rebuilding her self esteem and confidence. Family Group sessions taught both of us many things, to listen to one another, always tell the truth and express what you’re thinking and feeling about each situation. <br><br>On December 21, 2016, she was doing so good, that the staff made a unanimous vote to phase her up to 3. On Sunday, December 25, she came home for her Christmas and normal Sunday home pass. On Friday, December 30, 2016 she came home for her New Year and Sunday home pass. On Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017, I received a call in the morning, from Dena Paniccia, needing to change our Family Group session from Friday 1/6 to Wednesday 1/4. I was told she was involved in something that happened on campus, and she needed to tell me about it herself. By Tuesday evening I was called to pick her up she was being kicked out, discharged.<br><br>When I arrived Wednesday morning, I was greeted by Dena, who told me she was getting her belongings gathered. No explanation, no discussion, just kicked to the road. She was given 2 extremely large plastic garbage bags, to hold all of her belongings, from books, binders, clothing, bedding, shoes and more. These bags were so heavy that we had to drag them to my car. They were also so flimsy, they completely ripped open which left her belongings scattered over the parking lot. Not one person offered to help. On Tuesday evening, Mr B told her in a loud angry voice…Get Off You’re A_ _ and Pack Up Your S_ _ _ Now! Nice way to talk to a juvenile. <br><br>I was so very happy with the whole program and the progress she made, I could actually see her finding herself again. But I was also so very disappointed in the way this ended. She wasn’t given the opportunity to complete the program. Isn’t this a place that’s supposed to help these kids work through their mistakes? Isn’t this the place that says “This is where Recovery Begins?” Obviously, It’s also where Recovery Ends, if and when the staff decides. Although she has made progress, she was not ready to come home, nor was I prepared to take her home. She made a mistake, she knows she did wrong, but if we lived in a perfect world with perfect kids, there would be No Need for the Vince Smith Campus. How does one phase up for doing so well, with a unanimous vote, and a week and ½ later get kicked out with a Discharge Summary stating her Overall Progress…Deteriorated?<br><br>Most kids are court ordered to attend VSC, and in the 7 months she was in there, not 1 girl completed this program. I have seen a few boys get successfully discharged, but No girls. Many of the girls have admitted to wanting out so bad, they didn’t care what happened, or how they ended up. But there are a few that did care, including my daughter, that wanted to be there, that wanted the help. What’s sad is the staff there couldn’t tell the difference, between those who wanted to succeed and those who could care less. <br><br>Although she was discharged too soon, too abruptly, and I truly feel the staff made a hasty decision, I can only hope my daughter stays focused, continues to build her self esteem, continues practicing everything she has learned, and becomes the person, I know, she is so capable of being. <br><br>

A church with a heart for God and a heart for the community. First Assembly has contributed millions to church building overseas, disaster relief, and evangelism. As an attendee, I've learned countless things about the Bible and how to deepen my relationship with God. Under Pastor Betzer's anointed leadership, as well as his Spirit-led staff, I've grown as a person and as a Christian, and I've had vast opportunities to put my faith into action both locally and internationally. I'm grateful for First Assembly and all God is doing there.

Lunch and Learn Managing Misbehavior in Children was fantastic. Immediately after the presentation I signed up for the next Lunch and Learn they are offering in March.

This is not a legitimate charity. Donated money is not used in the manner the administrator claims.

I joined the Board of Special Equestrians in 2008 after participating in the Ride A Thon. I was so impressed with the organization I volunteered to help raise money for the program. Since that time I have been actively involved in the Taste of Love event, our main fundraiser. Special Equestrians is an awesome organization and it is so rewarding to see how our volunteers and horses are able to help disabled children and adults.

JDRF supports research to improve the lives of those living with Type1 diabetes -diabetes in general -and ultimately a cure. Type 1 or T1D is an autoimmune disease - NOT caused by lifestyle. My son was diagnosed at age 6. In the past 8 years, he has been subjected to over 30,000 finger pokes to monitor blood sugar and over 5130 injections of insulin just to stay alive. By being a part of JDRF, I have had the support of families that must live the same lifestyle, have had resources, tools and information available to me and most of all, a way to help my child as there is no cure. <br>Without JDRF, I think my family would have suffered greatly without the support we have gotten as well as given back to others.

Rob and Monique are amazing! Ethan and I have struggled so much with his cancer. If it weren't for them, I would've had to take my focus off of the fight against cancer. I don't know where we would be if we hadn't have met them.e

I am very please to put Living In Deliverance International Ministry at the top I was pregnant they take me to Dr and places and I am still receiving help from them I am highly recommend for them to receive more help so they can provide more This is Laurette E.