Nonprofit Resources in Fort Myers
Valerie’s House
With locations in Fort Myers, Naples, and Punta Gorda, Valerie’s House is a special place where children connect with one another and learn the tools to heal after they have experienced the death of someone they love.
At Valerie’s House, children know others their own age, and they learn that loss doesn’t have to limit their dreams. In addition to a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, Valerie’s House is a family of others grieving. Many have also gone through this journey and are here to help you and your children see that there is hope.
Habitat For Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties
Habitat partners with qualified, low-income families to provide decent, affordable homes through homeownership. Many families are surprised to learn they can own their own home by partnering with Habitat. It takes some work and determination, but the reward is life-changing.
Community Cooperative
The mission of Community Cooperative is to 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.
Goodwill of Southwest Florida
Goodwill provides numerous programs and services. These programs include educational initiatives, job readiness training through Job-Link Centers, and the Pathways to Work supported employment program. Goodwill provides small business training through the SWFL MicroEnterprise Institute, operates 16 income-subsidized disability-accessible housing complexes, and helps people get employment training and certifications. Adults with disabilities gain opportunities to become more independent through Pathways to Opportunity (an adult day training program) and Trailways Camps (a residential camping experience)
goodwillswfl.org/communitysupport/
Lee County Homeless Coalition
Homelessness is a complex issue that can overwhelm independent agencies that address specific issues. The confusion of navigating multiple agencies for their various needs can be an obstacle for homeless people trying to achieve self-sufficiency. The Lee County Homeless Coalition is committed to ending homelessness by advocating and working together to provide more efficient services to those who experience homelessness.
Hearts and Homes for Veterans
Hearts and Homes for Veterans was formed not just to be another charity, but to end homelessness among Veterans of SW Florida. Its goal is to empower the Veterans to lift themselves out of poverty, and then in turn, reach back and help other veterans do the same.
Lee County Domestic Animal Services
Lee County Domestic Animal Services is an agency that deals with stray animals.
Pace Center for Girls
Pace provides girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy.
ACT Center
ACT offers our 24-hour helpline, 3 safe shelters, children’s program, counseling, (both individual and group), economic empowerment program which includes financial and health literacy, life skills education, job skills evaluation and training along with GED assistance and ESOL. The non-residential outreach program we provide long-term counseling, therapy and support, economic empowerment services, a rape crisis center where we do the forensic examinations, advocacy department that provides advocacy through the judicial system, and a legal program for Injunctions for Protection.
Barbara’s Friends
Since opening, the Barbara’s Friends Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Outpatient Center has treated over 3,000 sick children from throughout Southwest Florida. Over 50% of the children treated for cancer at the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida are uninsured, on Medicaid or have no form of payment; however no child is denied treatment regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
Keep Lee County Beautiful
The mission of Keep Lee County Beautiful is to inspire, educate, and engage the Lee County community in improving, beautifying, and protecting our environment.
Harry Chapin Food Bank
Harry Chapin Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief network in Southwest Florida, serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. The organization rescues, inspects, transports, and distributes donated food and other grocery products to more than 150 partner agencies and programs that provide direct services to those in need. They include food pantries, in-school pantries, mobile pantries, senior programs and disaster relief agencies. The food bank provides food for about 28,000 individuals each week.
AMI Kids
Since 1991, AMIkids Southwest Florida has been dedicated to helping kids discover the potential within them, transform their lives and strengthen our community. Located in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, AMI Kids Southwest Florida empowers our kids through care and guidance to reach that potential and, as a result, separate their troubled past from a bright future.
Salvation Army
Homeless Resource Center
The Salvation Army’s Homeless Resource Day Center is located at 2450 Edison Ave., Fort Myers. Resource Day Center hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Call 239-789-1169 for more information.
The center provides basic needs and wrap-around services, and operates in partnership with several nonprofit organizations offering job skills training, mental/behavioral health services, and medical services.
Showers, laundry, food, haircuts, phone charging, and access to treatment and housing programs are some of the services available at the day center.
Visit www.SalvationArmyLeeCounty.org for volunteer opportunities or to make a donation.