Needs are great during holidays for thousands of area children
FORT MYERS, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2019) – Blessings come in special packages for almost 4,800 Lee County school children each week. Without the blessings of food provided by Blessings in a Backpack of SWFL, these children and their families would go hungry on the weekends.
During the holidays, the need grows as kids are home from school. Blessings in a Backpack once again needs your help and has designated Tuesday, Dec. 3 as Giving Tuesday. People are asked to go to the local organization’s website at blessingsinswfl.org where there is a donate button and make a contribution. Giving Tuesday follows the holiday buying themes of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
A donation of $100 can feed one child for an entire school year. Blessings in a Backpack focuses on children in kindergarten through fifth grade who qualify for the free and reduced meal program at Title 1 schools because “that is the group growing brain wise,” said Cecilia St. Arnold, national program manager and executive director of Blessings in a Backpack SWFL. “The goal has always been the educational component. We want the children to come back to school not depleted and ready to learn.”
Targeting Title 1 schools is important because those schools are primarily made up of children from low income families and they need the help the most. Hungry children is a country and county epidemic. Consider that approximately 62,000 children in the Lee school district are food insufficient. Currently, funding only allows Blessings in a Backpack to help only a small portion of them. St. Arnold’s goal is to one day be able to help at least half – or 31,000 – of those children.
“It’s our own kids, our own backyard,” she said. “This is our future workforce. We have to take care of our own kids.”
Donations from a generous community are making a difference. St. Arnold said Blessings in a Backpack Is feeding 3,000 more children than it did five years ago.
Nationally, the number of hungry children is staggering. According to Blessings in a Backpack statistics, more than 13 million children live in food insecure homes. Three out of four teachers say they have children in their classrooms who regularly come to school hungry. One in six children do not get the food they need each day.
Business support, especially in delivering food to the children, is essential for the non-profit. Sysco has stepped up to deliver the bags of food to each of the schools. From there, the kid friendly, nutritious, ready-to-eat meals are placed in the children’s backpacks on Fridays.
Blessings in a Backpack helps prevent hunger
Blessings in a Backpack steps up where federal aid stops by feeding children on the weekend. Every Friday afternoon, children receive packages filled with nutritious, kid-friendly, ready-to-eat food items. Students return to school every Monday morning with a full stomach and an eager mind. In partnership with Lee and Collier county schools, Blessings in a Backpack has helped dramatically improve test scores, reading skills, behavior and general health. Kids are our future; you can help secure theirs. Donations of all sizes are welcome through the donations portal at blessingsinswfl.org or via mail at P.O. Box 61402 Fort Myers, FL 33906. All contributions are tax-deductible.
 

The recreational harvest season for snook closes Dec. 1 in Gulf state and federal waters, including Monroe County and Everglades National Park, and will remain closed through Feb. 29, 2020, reopening to harvest March 1, 2020. Anglers may continue to catch and release snook during the closed season.
Snook remains catch-and-release only in state waters from the Hernando/Pasco county line through Gordon Pass in Collier County (includes Tampa Bay and Hillsborough County) through May 31, 2020, in response to the impacts of red tide. Snook also has a regular season closure that runs May 1 through Aug. 31. At its February meeting, the FWC anticipates discussing whether to reopen snook harvest in this area on March 1. Comment on this and other red-tide-related issues at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.
Regular season closures are designed to help conserve the species during vulnerable times such as cold weather. Atlantic state and federal waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, will be closed Dec. 15 through Jan. 31, 2020, reopening to harvest Feb. 1, 2020.
Visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Snook” for more information on snook. Improve data and report your catch on the Angler Action Foundation iAngler app at AnglerActionFoundation.com.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Nov. 22, 2019) – During October, 638,922 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fla., an increase of 12.2 percent compared to October 2018. Year-to-date, passenger traffic is up 8.8 percent compared to last year.
The traffic leader in October was Delta Air Lines with 139,527 passengers traveling to and from Fort Myers. Rounding out the top five airlines were American (111,139), Southwest (104,141), JetBlue (85,919) and United (72,512).
Southwest Florida International Airport had 5,451 aircraft operations, an increase of 1.3 percent compared to October 2018. Page Field saw 10,692 operations, a 16.6 percent increase from October 2018. In addition, more than 3.3 million pounds of air freight moved through Southwest Florida International Airport in October 2019.
Southwest Florida International Airport served nearly 9.4 million passengers in 2018 and is one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used for airport operation or construction. For more information, visit www.flylcpa.com or Like Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/flyRSW.

Round out your Thanksgiving festivities with some license-free saltwater fishing Saturday, Nov. 30. License-free fishing days are a great way for Florida residents and visitors to get out on the water and find out why Florida is known as the Fishing Capital of the World.
This day is part of eight total license-free fishing days the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers each year when anglers are not required to have a fishing license to participate. All bag limits, closed areas and size restrictions apply on these dates. To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/License. For fishing regulations and tips, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing. To renew or purchase a fishing license, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2019) – Priority Marketing was named the 2019 Business Ethics Award recipient during the Uncommon Evening gala of the Uncommon Friends Foundation. The event was held Nov. 14 at the Burroughs Home & Gardens in Fort Myers. Finalists included Allyn International and Sanibel Captiva Community Bank.

Priority Marketing was established in 1992 by Teri Hansen. It is a full-service marketing, advertising, public relations, social media and digital marketing firm with a reputation for achieving results. Today, Priority Marketing serves a diverse array of businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and individuals throughout the U.S. with a comprehensive array of marketing services.

The Business Ethics Award is presented annually to a business that exemplifies a high standard of ethical leadership in today’s business. The finalists and CEOs of Lee and Collier businesses participated in a Business Ethics Roundtable on Oct. 30 at Florida Gulf Coast University.

During the Uncommon Evening, Alexander (Alex) Bremner was presented with the Honorary Life Membership/Lifetime Achievement Award, Julia Parada was recognized as the Champion Teacher and 26 students received scholarships.

The presenting sponsor of this year’s event was Storm Smart. Other major sponsors included Burroughs Home Room, Henderson Franklin, Allyn International, FGCU, Waste Pro, Edison National Bank, LCEC and McGriffin. Table sponsors included Alex and Eunice Bremner, City of Fort Myers, CRS Technology, Eric Dent, Gary Eskin, Florida Weekly, News-Press, Northern Trust, Priority Marketing, Kevin Ruane, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank and Wayne Smith. Angel sponsors of scholarships included CDM Smith Consulting, Conditioned Air, Melisa Giovanelli, Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Catherine Morgan.

About the Uncommon Friends Foundation

The Uncommon Friends Foundation, established in 1993, is dedicated to lifelong character building among today’s youth and business leaders, as it inspires future leaders toward excellence of character, a spirit of innovation and a sense of purpose. Additional information about the foundation may be obtained by calling 239-337-9503 or visiting UncommonFriends.org.

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FORT MYERS, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2019) – BSSW Architects, a full-service architecture firm based in Fort Myers, has been named 2019 Firm of the Year by the American Institute of Architects (AIA)-Florida Southwest Chapter.
AIA’s Firm of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievements in design, community service, education and service to the profession as measured over a period of five years. Twelve Design Awards and six Honor Awards were presented at AIA-Florida Southwest’s annual Design Conference and Awards Ceremony on Nov. 14 at the Sydney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers.
“What makes this award special is that it doesn’t recognize one particular project – it’s our entire body of work over multiple years, as well as our impact on the profession and surrounding community,” said Dan Summers, BSSW’s president and principal architect. “BSSW will be celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2020, and when you think about all that’s changed since 1980 – design trends, technology, construction methods and the overall landscape of Southwest Florida – it’s extremely gratifying to still be among the top architecture firms in the region.”
BSSW’s full complement of architectural services include interior design, planning, programming, building information modeling, sustainable design and feasibility studies. The firm’s portfolio includes commercial, residential and mixed-use projects, and its experienced architects specialize in facility design for education, resort and hospitality, government, public safety and religious facilities. BSSW also offers a niche service addressing historic preservation.
AIA-Florida Southwest serves more than 200 members in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. Its mission is to organize and unite in fellowship the architects of Southwest Florida to combine their efforts so as to promote the aesthetic, scientific and practical efficiency of the profession; to advance the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standard of architecture education, training and practice; to coordinate the building industry and the profession of architecture to ensure the advancement of the living standards of our people through their improved environment; and to make the profession of ever-increasing service to society.
About BSSW Architects
BSSW Architects, Inc. is a full-service architectural firm founded in 1980 with the same principles that guide the business today: dedication to serving the best interest of clients and the community. The Fort Myers, Florida-based company has served as the lead architect on more than 120 major projects across Southwest Florida, including schools, government facilities, public libraries, hotels, resorts and private communities. BSSW Architects employs a complete team of architects, planners, interior designers and support staff to bring projects from the concept stage through completion. For more information, visit BSSWarchitects.com or call 239-278-3838.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2019) – More than 300 designer-name fashionistas and bargain hunters came together to help raise nearly $50,000 for Dress for Success SW Florida at the nonprofit’s biggest shopping event of the year, Shop for Success.

The shopping extravaganza held Nov. 8 at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower featured 5,000 square feet of gently used designer fashions, including exclusive brands like White House Black Market, Chico’s, Coach, J. Crew, Juicy, Kate Spade, Lily Pulitzer, Michael Kors, Prada, St. John, Talbots and Vince Camuto. Savvy shoppers explored thousands of items starting as low as $5, including dresses, tops, pants, skirts, suits and jackets in sizes 00 to 26, as well as shoes, handbags, scarves and jewelry.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event benefited Dress for Success SW Florida and its mission to jumpstart a woman’s career by providing not only work-appropriate attire through its Suits for Self Sufficiency program, but also education and training through its custom Women Empowered Through Employment Series (WETES). Both programs provide tools necessary to create a balance between work and home life, and provide support to overcome life’s hardships.

“The funds raised at Shop for Success go right back into the community, helping women in need along their quest for financial independence and empowerment,” said Nickole Hendra, executive director of Dress for Success SW Florida. “Each year, Shop for Success offers a fun way to help make a meaningful impact in the lives of those served through Dress for Success’ career development programs, and we are so thankful for all who came out to shop for the success of women in Southwest Florida.”

Shop for Success was sponsored by Card Systems/eGuarded, Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower, Edison National Bank, Entech, Frank and Sons Moving & Storage Inc., Garramone Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company P.A., Priority Marketing, Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee and Stevens Construction.

Dress for Success SW Florida’s 2020 Shop for Success is slated for Nov. 6-7, 2020, providing shoppers with an additional day of exclusive shopping opportunities.

To learn more about Dress for Success SW Florida and its programs, visit swflorida.dressforsuccess.org or call 239-689-4992.

About Dress for Success SW Florida

Founded in 2010, Dress for Success SW Florida is headquartered in Fort Myers. A nonprofit organization with a mission to empower women to achieve economic independence, Dress for Success SW Florida provides a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Dress for Success SW Florida serves job-ready women by referral only. For more information, visit swflorida.dressforsuccess.org or call 239-689-4992. Dress for Success SW Florida is located at 12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 153, in Fort Myers.

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