Doing Good Together in Lee County

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We laughed. We cried. We had a wonderful night of connection at our second 2024 Doing Good Together reception March 26 at the Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers.

The annual receptions, held in each region we serve, are a way to thank our volunteers, donors and community partners. We appreciate everyone’s contribution to the mission, and we recognize eight for going above and beyond. It was an emotional night. Our Super Volunteer of the Year brought the room to tears as he shared how volunteering saved him personally. Our Host Family of the Year made us laugh with witty one liners and an impassioned plea to get involved.

We wanted the awards to mean as much as the support you all give to the families we serve. So this year, we introduced the DOie awards. That’s “do,” as in the recipients are doing good. In the tradition of prized baseball cards, we commemorated the contributions of our Lee County community through these DOie awards, each card featuring images from our work together and a personalized quote.

This year’s DOie award honorees in Lee County are:

Host Family of the Year
Danielle and Nathan Flood
Danielle and Nathan Flood and their children have hosted six children in their home and have cared for each of them like one of their own. Carisha, whose son Jaiden stayed with the Floods, said once she met them, she knew that everything was going to be okay.

Mentor of the Year
Meredith Kendall
Mom Lindsey Taylor presented this award to Meredith. The two met in August and now call each other friends. Lindsey shared that Meredith has given her guidance, honest opinions, advice and has lent a judge-free ear when she needed it. She says that Meredith is a truly inspirational person, and she is grateful that Better Together brought them together.

Church Partner of the Year
Grace Church
Grace Church has been participating in the Better Together job ministry since 2021. They have hosted six second chance job fairs, connecting 811 job seekers to opportunities, and the church is planning a seventh job fair on April 18 as part of Nationwide Days of Second Chances.

Community Partner of the Year
RYAN Healing Center, Jennifer Barth and Judy Regner
RYAN Healing Center has been an incredible partner in helping families flourish. The collaboration in hosting children and mentoring parents has helped families who are struggling with addiction see long-term success.

DCF Partner of the Year
Theresa Fracek
Theresa goes above and beyond to help families. She works tirelessly behind the scenes, and her dedication and passion are truly gifts to the community.

Doug Campbell Generosity Award
Peter Rivera
Peter generously supports the Better Together mission. In the fall, his company, Gaea Landscaping, sponsored Better Together’s Night of Million Dreams gala. He was also the first to raise his paddle to start the bidding. He genuinely cares about his community and inspires through servant leadership, hard work and giving back.

Super Volunteer of the Year
Hector Figueroa
Hector first connected with Better Together after Hurricane Ian in 2022 and has been answering the call to help ever since. Whether it is helping us deliver supplies or hot meals, dressing as an elf for our Christmas events, or driving a giant U-Haul truck to transport family supplies, he is there.

Staff Appreciation Award
Dawson Jordan
Dawson shares the impactful stories of Better Together through video. He is Better Together’s creative director, and his work motivates viewers to take action and make a difference in their community.