December 2022 Newsletter
/A Note From Dolly Farrell, Executive Director
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Hurricane Ian was strong, but we are stronger rings true in a way we never dreamed possible.
Thank you for the amazing response to our call to action; to assist the staff of our nonprofit partners who personally lost so much yet put the community's needs above their own.
Because of your generosity, we have exceeded the $100,000 match pledged by current and former CFI Board of Directors and Donor Advised Fund Partners. With your support, we launched the Nonprofit Employee Assistance Program last week with more than $200,000 ready for immediate distribution. To read the press release on the Employee Assistance program, click here.
CFI Executive Director Dolly Farrell hands off a check to Kim Ouelette, FISH of Sanibel’s Operations and volunteer coordinator.
This outpouring of generosity inspires us to trust that our future together will be bright.
Happy Holidays to you and to your loved ones; may you have a chance to rest and renew your spirits in the days ahead. We have all certainly earned it!
With deepest appreciation,
Dolly Farrell
Executive Director
P.S. The application for assistance is now available online at Hurricane Ian Response and Resources — Charitable Foundation of the Islands.
What Our Nonprofit Partners Are Saying
“About one third of our staff has been displaced. This is a wonderful way to show how grateful we are for the critical work that all our nonprofits’ employees provide to our community.””
““We can’t thank CFI enough for the generosity and speed with which the funds were raised. Our staff as well as the teams from the other nonprofits can begin to rebuild their lives.” ”
Nonprofit Partners Gather for Fellowship
On Tuesday, December 14th, CFI hosted an hour of fellowship with our nonprofit partners at Cielo in Sanibel. It was a wonderful to see each other in person after almost three months of biweekly Zoom calls.
Representatives from the CFI Board of Directors, BIG ARTS, Captiva Civic Association, Children's Education Center of the Islands, Community Housing Resources, CROW, "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva, Sanibel Community House, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, and the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum were all in attendance.
Jack Evans: A Volunteer Inspiration
Jack Evans and his family have a long history with Sanibel Island. They have been coming here for over 35 years, staying in the same unit at SunDial Beach Resort. One of his daughters was married on the island.
Since the Hurricane Ian made landfall, he and his wife Rosie had been watching the Facebook Live updates and were impressed with how the city was handling the recovery. Retired from IBM and now is running his own IT business, Jack decided he wanted to help and quickly went into action. Jack called Dolly Farrell, CFI Executive Director, and they quickly connected. Jack and Rosie wanted to support the Islands' recovery and they were one of the first donors to CFI's Sanibel-Captiva Recovery Fund. Jack then called CFI a few weeks later with a desire to take a week off of work to volunteer. Dolly quickly linked Jack with F.I.S.H.'s volunteer coordinator to coordinate his trip.
Jack came to Sanibel Island during the week of November 28 – December 2 and worked at F.I.S.H.’s “supplies tent” outside their offices on Periwinkle Way. His job was to help receive and organize supplies that arrived each day and distribute the items to Sanibel residents as they came in. He worked with other volunteers as well as F.I.S.H. staff to keep the supplies organized and distributed throughout the week.
Jack Evans volunteers at F.i.s.h of sanibel and captiva
"It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! I came to help others but I was the one who gained so much from last week. The strength, dedication and resiliency of so many people on Sanibel was so uplifting to me! I came home with a renewed faith in the fundamental goodness and decency of people," he said.
CFI wishes to thank all the volunteers out there who have given so much time, energy and love to the recovery efforts on our Islands!
Thank You to our Community Partners
We are so grateful for all the fundraisers that support CFI's Sanibel-Captiva Recovery Fund. Visit the Captiva Civic Association to view the artwork donated by Paul Arsenault or Congress Jewelers to purchase your Florida Strong, Sanibel Strong and Captiva Strong pendants.