Collier Cares offers resources for help at your fingertips

One of the unique things about the Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF) is that it’s a private organization, which means they can pivot funding at a moment’s notice.

That’s what happened as we dealt with COVID-19. They pivoted and built a website and app called “Collier Cares.” 

As car after car crawls through the “Our Daily Bread” mobile food giveaway line at Lely High School, volunteer Wanda Smith smiles at each one. 

“I see the people, and I see myself in them,” said Smith. “I see some of them in desperation. I see some of them that really need. Wow, the look in their eyes. It brings me back to where I was. It’s really not good.” 

“We offer food, hope and encouragement.”   Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, Executive Director, Our Daily Bread

Seven years ago, Smith was a guest at Our Daily Bread, with life uncertain and bills stacking up. The organization strives to lift some of that burden. 

“They are our neighbors, our friends, the people who may work at the gas station or the handyman or the cooks or the painters. They are people in our community needing a hand up. We offer that hand up. We are community resource,” said Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, executive director of Our Daily Bread. 

Finding that is easy with “Collier Cares,” a site created by NCEF. 

“Collier Cares is our help-all-in-one-place app. We designed it to make that everybody has access to all your cares and to information,” said Maria Jimenez-Lara, CEO of NCEF. 

How it works:  

You just go to colliercares.org, and it’s all laid out on a map. Within those numbered bubbles are hundreds of resources available in Collier County. 

You can break the resources down by subject on the left side of the screen. There are food resources to help you find food pantries and meal giveaways. Crises hotlines are open 24/7 for drugs, alcohol, mental and physical health and so much more. You can also get the same information through the mobile app.  

“They’re a great group of people, and they do things so selflessly. And that’s how I feel. I feel good coming to work. To me, I don’t even see it as work. I see it as something giving me pleasure, because that’s what it is. It’s a pleasure servicing the community,” said Smith.