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'Spread the love' through Community Cooperative's Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive in April
Community Cooperative's 2022 Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive runs through April 25 with a goal of surpassing last year's four-ton collection.
The nonprofit is asking for donations of peanut butter and alternatives, like almond butter or hazelnut butter, and all flavors of jelly and jam. Plastic jars are preferred.
Peanut butter and jelly are among the most requested items at food pantries because they are kid-friendly, shelf-stable and protein-rich.
"Summer is traditionally a period when many families struggle to keep food on their shelves, and as a result, we receive an overwhelming number of requests," said Stefanie Edwards, CEO for Community Cooperative. "We provide pasta, soup, canned fruits and vegetables, rice and many other staples, but peanut butter and jelly remains popular because school-age children can safely make sandwiches on their own that taste good and are nutritional."
In 2021, the monthlong collection generated 8,131.5 pounds of donations, one-third of which was donated by real estate photographers Real Tours. Community Cooperative's history with peanut butter and jelly can be traced to its founder, Sam Galloway Jr., who began the Soup Kitchen by handing out PB&J sandwiches after church in downtown Fort Myers to people who needed food.
"We are challenging individuals, residential communities, civic organizations and businesses to sponsor collections," said Tami Holliday, Community Cooperative's community relations and development manager. "Collectively, we can 'spread the love' to make sure no family goes hungry this summer, one jar at a time."
Community Cooperative will host a Weigh-in Event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Monday, April 25, at Community Cooperative, 3429 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Fort Myers. Prizes will be awarded to those collecting the most donations.
For more information, please contact Holliday at Tami@CommunityCooperative.com or 239-332-7687.
For 37 years, Community Cooperative has worked to effectively eliminate hunger and homelessness in Lee County while simultaneously inspiring and supporting sustained positive change in its clients by delivering innovative food, education and social service programs. For more resources and information on how to get involved, contact Tami Holliday at Tami@communitycooperative.com or call 239-332-7687. Monetary donations are always welcomed and can be made directly at CommunityCooperative.com, or mailed to: Community Cooperative, P.O. Box 2143, Fort Myers, FL 33902.
FDOH Lee to host minority health fair April 23
April is National Minority Health Month, and the Florida Department of Health in Lee County would like to stress the importance of furthering the health of racial and ethnic minorities and reducing health disparities.
FDOH Lee would like to invite all residents and visitors to "Spring into Health" this April at our Minority Health Fair.
The Minority Health Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the FDOH Lee office at 3920 Michigan Ave., Fort Myers.
The event will include free health screenings, youth activities and educational resources from various FDOH Lee departments.
The event will also feature FDOH Lee programs, including but not limited to: Tobacco Prevention and Cessation, Students Working Against Tobacco, Healthiest Weight Florida Nutrition and Physical Activity, Overdose Data to Action, Mental Health First Aid, Breast and Cervical Cancer and Public Health Preparedness
Attendees will be able to connect with programmatic representatives to learn more about FDOH Lee programs and services.
The FDOH, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
For more information about the Florida Department of Health, please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov
Tobol joins Physicians' Primary Care of Southwest Florida
Courtney Tobol has joined Physicians' Primary Care of Southwest Florida as an advanced practice registered nurse.
Tobol is a graduate of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, where she received a bachelor of science degree in nursing as well as a bachelor of science degree in health science. She earned a master of science degree in nursing education from Endicott College in Beverly, Mass.
She has 14 years of nursing experience, including eight years as a registered nurse in Massachusetts and three years as an advanced practice registered nurse in Florida.
Tobol is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network.
She will assist physicians at the Cape Coral Family Medicine office at 1255 Viscaya Parkway.
Physicians' Primary Care of Southwest Florida, a physician-owned and operated medical practice, was formed in 1996 by many long practicing local physicians and has grown to become the largest physician-owned primary care practice in Southwest Florida with family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Offices are conveniently located in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Lehigh Acres. For more information, visit www.ppcswfl.com.
‘It's All About You’ Chronic Disease Self-Management Program available
Lee Health's "It's All About You," Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, a self-management resource program with the SMRC, is offering a research-based chronic disease self-management program for the community.
The program is designed for people 18 years of age or older with chronic health conditions to help them learn ways to better manage their chronic conditions and the symptoms that often accompany chronic health conditions.
The virtual workshop is 2 hours once a week for 6 weeks and it is free.
Workshops will be offered on Tuesdays beginning May 3 from 1-3 p.m. and Thursdays beginning May 5 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Both sessions are virtual.
For more information or to register, please call 239-424-3121.
Lee Health seeking blood donations
Lee Health is seeking blood donations to help replenish supply levels. Current blood supplies are critically low, and Lee Health's blood centers are in urgent need of donors.
As home to the region's only trauma center, it is vital that the health system's blood supply remains at healthy levels in order to quickly care for patients needing an urgent transfusion. Blood and blood products are not only used in the trauma center, but also to treat cancer patients, premature babies, anemia and a variety of other conditions.
Lee Health's blood centers are the sole supplier of all blood products for the entire health system. About 800 units of blood are needed per week, and the blood centers rely on life-saving donations from the community to maintain inventory levels.
The Lee Health Blood Mobile will be at numerous locations throughout Southwest Florida in April: www.leehealth.org/our-services/blood-centers/blood-mobile/blood-drives
All blood donated at Lee Health stays within the health system to care for patients in Southwest Florida. If unable to attend one of the upcoming blood drives, donations can also be made at one of Lee Health's blood centers to help save lives.
For more information on how and where to donate, please visit Lee Health Blood Centers.
Annual Safe Kids Day provides free interactive demonstrations aimed at keeping children safe
Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida is hosting its annual Safe Kids Day event on Saturday, April 16. Safe Kids Day provides a fun atmosphere for families to learn how to keep children safe in their homes and communities. Families will be able to participate in interactive demonstrations and games to learn about the following subjects:
• Bicycle safety and pedestrian safety (free bike helmets while supplies last)
• Car and bus safety
• Gun safety
• Internet safety and child identification
• Keeping medications secure
• Safe sleep
• Water safety
• Youth sports
• Drug and Alcohol Prevention
Children will also be able to have their faces painted, see fire trucks and the K9 police unit and check out books from a mobile branch of the Lee County Library System. In addition to the interactive games and demonstrations, the event will feature four Easter egg hunts at the following times:
• Noon - Children with disabilities
• 12:30 p.m. - Children ages 0 - 3
• 1 p.m. - Children ages 4 - 6
• 1:30 p.m. - Children ages 7 and older
During the Safe Kids Day event, local Harley-Davidson owners and enthusiasts will participate in the annual Easter Bunny Toy Run. Dozens of motorcyclists, led by the Easter Bunny, will ride to Golisano Children's Hospital to deliver toys to sick and injured children. The toy run ensures that children in the hospital are still able to enjoy a visit from the Easter Bunny.
The event will also feature food trucks and a DJ and is being held 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Golisano Children's Hospital of SWFL, located at 9981 South Healthpark Drive, Fort Myers, Florida 33908.
More Than $700,000 raised in 2021 for Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida by Children's Miracle Network Partners
Thanks to overwhelming community support, Golisano Children's Hospital has announced that the region's only children's hospital raised $773,000 through Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Partners in 2021.
Many of the campaigns that ran through 2021 raised one dollar at a time to help young patients and their families.
Golisano Children's Hospital thanked its participating CMN partners for 2021 were Ace Hardware, Coca-Cola, Costco, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Kirkland Signature, Love's Travel Stops, Marriott International, Marriott Vactions Worldwide, Panda Express, Phi Mu Fraternity, Publix, RE/MAX, Walmart & Sam's Club, and WaWa.
The children's hospital also welcomes new 2022 partners, which include Anthropologie, JOANN and Tijuana Flats TEX-Mex.
Each donation is a key part of providing state-of-the-art care for children and families in Southwest Florida so they can stay close to home at Golisano Children's Hospital. Philanthropy plays a key role in funding necessary resources and advancing many of the programs at the children's hospital.
Learn more about how you support Golisano Children's Hospital at https://leehealthfoundation.org/golisano-childrens-hospital/.
Free autism careening for young children
Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida, offers a free monthly autism spectrum disorder screening for toddlers 18 months to five years of age.
The next screening will be held on April 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Pediatric Specialist Office, 15901 Bass Road, Suite 102, Fort Myers.
It is estimated that one in every 59 children is diagnosed with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined.
Medical consultants for the project stress that an early diagnosis can make a vast difference for toddlers and their families. They say early intensive behavioral intervention can make an immense difference not just in the development of the child, but in their families as well.
The ASD screening is conducted by the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. The screenings are administered by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, who has extensive training and experience in typical child development and developmental disorders.
A physician referral is not required. To schedule a screening, please call 239-343-6838.