Together We Can
WildBlue Charitable Neighbors (WBCN) Newsletter
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Big impact with 2024 donations | |
Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of the WildBlue Community, WBCN was able to provide volunteer services and the following grants to worthy Lee County Charities in 2024.
- Interfaith Charities $17,000
- FGCU Food Pantry $5,000
- PACE Center for Girls $11,000
- Harlem Heights Foundation $5,000
- Dubin Center $10,600
- Community Cooperative $5,000
- Golden Retriever Rescue $3,000
- Gulf Coast Humane Society $2,500
- Florida Paddlers Trail Assn. $500*
For information about these amazing charities and their impact on those in need, visit the WildBlue Charitable Neighbors website.
Thank you for your support in making our first year a success! We look forward to offering more opportunities for everyone to come together and support our Lee County neighbors in 2025.
*Designated donation
| Help us welcome our first Platinum Sponsor: Tana Reich | |
We are thrilled to welcome our first Platinum Sponsor, Tana Reich, neighbor, WBCN volunteer, friend, and Managing Director/Investments STIFEL Reich Yore Jenne Wealth Management Group. Our sponsors are not just making donations, they are investing in the place we all call "home." Partnering with WildBlue Charitable Neighbors is a way that, together, we can help build a stronger, more vibrant community that benefits everyone - individuals and businesses.
We are so grateful to Tana and her company for making that investment. We had a chance to visit with Tana who shared some insights. Click "Read More" below for more about Tana’s passion for positively impacting lives.
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If you’re interested in becoming a Silver, Gold, or Platinum donor, see Become A Sponsor
on our website or contact Rick Rosenfelt at rrosenfelt@aol.com for more information.
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WBCN Board approves charities for 2025 grants | |
Over the past two years, WBCN's Grants Committee vetted 25 Lee County non-profits. In February, it made its recommendations for 2025 support to the Board. We are pleased to present the organizations we will support for 2025:
Youth and Education
Hunger and Housing
Women's Resources
Seniors and Veterans
Animal Welfare
* New for 2025
Our criteria for considering non-profits are:
- IRS 501(c)(3) organization providing services in Lee County
- Proven track record as a strong organization
- Appropriate review of financials, donors, project request
- Consideration of the impact our donation will have on the organization
- Favorable onsite visit
We will continue to support our 2024 organizations through volunteer service and in-kind donations as we are able to expand our reach into the community, thanks to the generosity of our WildBlue neighbors and friends.
Please join us in thanking the members of the Grants Committe for their painstaking work in identifying charities – Kristin Smith, Chair: Holly Hogue; Brenda Ranchino; and Karin Peterson.
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WBCN seeks business sponsors | |
We need your help. As an organization, WBCN is fortunate to have the support of many people who are successful and have the means to support our efforts personally. It is our hope that you can help us make business connections our charities can benefit from as well.
Think about businesses you deal with each day – big or small. Your pest control, your contractors, your favorite bakery, your company connections, a home-based business. Would they benefit from more exposure in our community? WBCN can provide that!
For a donation, the generosity of the business owner would not only benefit the charity but hopefully increase their customer traffic due to our social media presence and word of mouth in our community. Donations can be as simple as a cash donation, an auction item, a portion of their proceeds for a specific day, or a percentage of sales for an event.
Please think about how you and your friends may be able to help us secure business donors’ support to achieve our lofty goals. As a community, we are making a difference in the lives of those who need assistance in Lee County.
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WildBlue volunteers combine service and fun
WBCN volunteers lend a hand in a wide variety of fun and meaningful activities across Lee County. This quarter, we're highlighting how our volunteers made a difference at events to benefit the Golden Retriever Rescue of SW Florida at their annual Goldenfest fundraiser and celebrate the holidays with the PACE Center for Girls. For more about these events, click Read More below.
We’re always looking for volunteers to assist with both our WBCN sponsored events and to provide support for other local non-profits in Lee County that we help organize. It’s a great opportunity to give back, have fun, and meet like-minded WildBlue neighbors! If you're interested, please reach out to Maureen or Leigh at wbcharitableneighbors@gmail.com.
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Founders' Corner
Melissa Metzger and Debbie Nolan
WBCN exploded through the end of 2024 with an angel donor matching campaign that brought in over $90,000 in donations! We shared that love with our Lee County neighbors, distributing almost $60,000 in grants to our designated charities and giving us a great head start toward funding our 2025 grants.
We're carrying that momentum and energy into 2025 bringing new charities, new volunteer opportunities, and new WBCN neighbors to the table. Thank you to every one of you who touched lives in 2024. With your continued support, we're excited to expand our reach and our impact in 2025.
Together We Can Do More!
| Golfers unite for a cause | |
The Tee It Up For Charity Golf Tournament is right around the corner. Have you registered yet? The fun starts at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, April 27 at Stoneybrook Golf Course. The 8:30 shotgun start features a scramble format followed by a lunch at Azure. Join us for awards, a fun auction, basket raffle, and a 50/25/25. It's open to players of all levels and locations. All are welcome!
Participants must register by Monday, April 14. Click the top banner of the WildBlue Charitable Neighbors website to register. Can’t wait to see you!
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Lakeside FUNraiser a hit!
Thanks to your incredible support, our February Lakeside FUNraiser was a day filled with fun, laughter, and giving back to causes close to our hearts.
The event had something for everyone—whether you enjoyed browsing our amazing raffle baskets, participating in the 50/25/25 raffle, or picking up a WBCN t-shirt or hat to show your support. We were thrilled to see so many of you joining in on the kids' crafts and minnow races, competing in bocce, cornhole, and horseshoes, and capturing cherished moments with family and pet photos.
Tom Donato, WildBlue's amazing General Manager, kept us well-fed with delicious food, the Lee County Sherriff department's ice cream truck was a huge hit, and the DJ kept the energy high, spinning the perfect tunes to set the mood all day long!
Seeing so many families come together for a day of fun was so heartwarming. It's a great reminder of how much can be accomplished when our neighbors come together.
We can’t wait to see you at our next event—thank you again for being part of something truly special!
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Upcoming events
April 14
Tee It Up For Charity Golf Tournament Registration Deadline
April 24
PACE Center for Girls Grand Dames Tea
April 27
Tee It Up For Charity Golf Tournament
For more information on events and volunteer opportunities, check out the calendar on our website and follow WildBlue Charitable Neighbors on Facebook!
Can we count on your support?
There are so many ways to get involved! Sign up for a shift at the Interfaith Charities food pantry. Volunteer for a fundraising event. Check out the WBCN committees and put your gifts to work. Donate to support our amazing charities that do so much for so many in Lee County.
Donate using the QR code below or send a check payable to WildBlue Charitable Neighbors to 13596 Blue Bay Circle, Ft. Myers, FL 33913.
Together we can do more!
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Want to stay up to date with WildBlue Charitable Neighbors? Go to our website, enter your email address in Subscribe To Our Newsletter, and click the Sign Up button. And don’t forget to follow WildBlue Charitable Neighbors on Facebook!
| | | Community Cooperative: Paying it forward - Erin's story | |
Erin Mule, a Meals on Wheels (MOW) volunteer, figuratively slips on her mother’s old volunteer shirt before heading to Community Cooperative. To Erin, it’s a symbol of something much greater—her mother’s legacy of giving.
A retired teacher, Erin grew up watching her mother serve at the very same MOW program where she now volunteers. But when dementia made it impossible for her mother to continue, Erin stepped in, carrying on the work her mother cherished.
Erin offers a listening ear, creates friendships, and even changes a load of laundry for one senior each time she visits. Another senior, relying on her wheelchair for mobility, lived in her shed, for a year after Hurricane Ian. Yet despite her struggles, she was grateful and thankful just to be alive.
Moments like these have changed Erin’s perspective. “You never know what someone has been through,” she reflects. “I’ve come here thinking I was helping others, but the truth is, I get more from them than they get from me.”
With over 3,000 volunteers working together to feed up to 600 homebound seniors weekly, it’s a community of hope, resilience, and kindness. And for Erin, donning her mother’s shirt is a daily reminder to pay it forward, just as her mother once did.
For a peek at your neighbors volunteering at Community Cooperative, check out Bringing meals with Community Cooperative on our website. Click this link for more information about the Meals on Wheels program at Community Cooperative.
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Contact us at info@wildbluecharitableneighbors.org | Follow WildBlue Charitable Neighbors on Facebook |
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