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Author: jessa

Success Story: Ethan

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Ethan is a bright and determined student at Pinecrest Elementary who lives in a 592-square-foot home in Immokalee with seven other family members—his sibling, cousins, and two aunts and an uncle who have stepped in as his primary caregivers. Like many families in Immokalee his household has doubled up with extended family members to share housing and manage expenses. 

Even so, the family faces ongoing financial strain and has very limited resources. Food insecurity is a constant concern for the family, especially in a community where access to affordable, fresh food is limited and income inequality is rampant.

Feeding Dreams’ Power Pack program has been an immense source of support for Ethan and his family. By helping to ensure consistent access to food, the program has contributed to a noticeable improvement in Ethan’s academic performance, with his grades rising from B’s in his core subjects in the first quarter to A’s in the second quarter. 

Ethan’s school counselor has emphasized that reliable access to food has “absolutely” played a major role in this progress. With limited financial resources and ongoing challenges, Ethan’s family often experiences stress and uncertainty around meeting basic needs, making the stability provided by the program especially impactful.

Ethan’s school counselor shared that without consistent access to food, it would have been extremely difficult for him to maintain, let alone improve, his academic performance. They emphasized that the program’s accessibility—providing food directly through the school rather than requiring families to travel elsewhere—has made a significant impact. This is especially important for Ethan’s household, where resources are shared among multiple family members, allowing the support to reach not just Ethan, but his entire family.

Although Ethan faces challenges related to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), he continues to demonstrate resilience and leadership. He has been recognized as “Leader of the Month” in his class and actively participates in Pinecrest Elementary’s Kids on the GO! running club. 

Outside of school, Ethan enjoys running, playing with Rubik’s cubes and LEGO sets, and building things. His story highlights the critical role that our weekend backpack meal program plays in ensuring that students have the resources they need to succeed both academically and personally, now and into the future. 

 

Power Pack Success Story: Will

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In the face of tragedy, financial hardship, and instability, Will—a fourth-grade student at Avalon Elementary School—has not only endured but continued to move forward with determination.

Will has attended Avalon Elementary since kindergarten. For most of that time, he has shared a single motel room with his mother, father, and aunt. That one space has served as bedroom, kitchen, and living area throughout his most formative years.

His parents have faced significant challenges. During one especially difficult period, Will lived apart from them while they worked to overcome personal struggles. When the family was reunited, they were committed to rebuilding their lives. Both parents took on physically demanding construction and road crew jobs, working long hours in an effort to regain stability.

Just as they began to make progress, a devastating workplace accident changed everything. Will’s mother was run over by a vehicle at a job site, suffering severe injuries to her legs and spine. After nearly a year in a wheelchair, she is still unable to return to work. The medical expenses that followed, combined with the loss of income, erased much of the stability the family had worked hard to achieve.

With limited income and ongoing medical costs, food insecurity became an ongoing concern. The weekend backpack meals Will receives from Feeding Dreams have provided a vital source of consistency and relief. In their motel room’s small kitchenette, the family prepares each item provided. According to his counselor, nothing goes to waste. These meals are not simply supplemental—they help ensure Will has reliable access to food over the weekend, when school meals are unavailable and household resources are most strained.

Academically, Will has faced challenges as well. He entered school performing below grade level and was later identified as having a learning disability through school-based interventions and tutoring. Over time, he has made meaningful academic gains and is steadily progressing. His counselor shared that the combination of consistent weekend nutrition and targeted academic support has played a significant role in helping Will get back on track.

Today, Will is more confident and self-assured. He willingly asks for help, raises his hand in class, and approaches learning with greater independence. He is respectful, polite, and currently earns A’s and B’s. Outside of school, he enjoys playing video games.

Though countless barriers have stood in Will’s way, his story proves that with steady support and nourishment, you can transform hardship into hope and succeed despite challenging obstacles.

Power Pack Success Story: Ella and Izzy

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Ella and Izzy are twin sisters who attend Belle Glade Elementary School and live with their great-grandmother, who serves as their primary caregiver. Due to ongoing challenges in their home environment, including their mother’s absence related to struggles with addiction and periods of incarceration and treatment, their great-grandmother has assumed full-time responsibility for raising Ella, Izzy, and their younger brother. She is retired and living on a fixed income, and works tirelessly to provide stability and care despite limited financial resources.

The Feeding Dreams Power Pack Program has been a vital source of support for this family. Each week, Power Pack meals help ensure that Ella, Izzy, and their younger brother have consistent access to nutritious food when school is not in session. This reliable support helps close the gap over weekends, when school meals are not available, and provides relief for their great-grandmother as she works to stretch a limited income to meet the needs of growing children.

The meals also promote independence and confidence for the children. Ella and Izzy, in particular, take pride in being able to prepare many of the items themselves, helping to reduce the daily burden on their great-grandmother. The children especially enjoy the peanut butter crackers and tuna, which they use to make tuna salad sandwiches. 

The sisters are extremely close, and in their spare time, enjoy dancing, making jewelry, learning hairstyling, and participating in school activities, including running on the Belle Glade track team. The consistency provided by the Power Pack program has helped support their ability to stay engaged in school and maintain involvement in positive peer and extracurricular activities.

While they previously struggled with behavioral challenges, school staff have also noted significant improvements in the girls’ behavior. The school counselor shared that their behavior has “changed tremendously” due to the consistent access to food through the Power Pack program and being more active in extracurricular activities. 

Beyond addressing immediate food insecurity, the program has also fostered leadership and empathy. When additional meals are available, Ella and Izzy help distribute them to other students and encourage their peers to take food home, demonstrating growing confidence and a sense of responsibility within their school community.

Overall, the Power Pack program has provided essential weekend nutrition for three siblings, while also strengthening household stability, supporting healthy development, and helping Ella and Izzy grow into more confident, independent, and engaged students despite significant family challenges.

Feeding Dreams Receives $20,000 Grant From The League Club

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NAPLES, Fla. – May 26, 2026 –Feeding Dreams is proud to announce it has received a generous $20,000 grant from The League Club during the organization’s annual Briefcase Breakfast, where 29 outstanding local nonprofits were recognized for their impact in the community.

Executive Director Jeri Goetz proudly accepted the award on behalf of Feeding Dreams. The grant will fund Feeding Dreams’ Power Packs program for 158 at-risk students at Mike Davis Elementary School. Power Packs provide nutritious weekend backpack meals to children facing food insecurity, ensuring they have reliable access to nourishment when school meals are unavailable.

Mike Davis Elementary serves a highly vulnerable student population:

  •  100% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged
  • 91% of students are minorities
  • 76% of students speak a language other than English at home
  • 54% are English Language Learners
  • 4% of students are experiencing homelessness

“Every Power Pack helps fight weekend hunger and gives children the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive,” said Goetz. “We are deeply grateful to The League Club for believing in our mission and investing in the future of our community’s children.”

Feeding Dreams and Port Royal Host Food Drive

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NAPLES, Fla. – March 3, 2026 – The Naples-based nonprofit Feeding Dreams, in
partnership with the Port Royal Club, held a community food drive from Feb.
18–27 to ensure children experiencing food insecurity have access to meals while
school is out for spring break. Volunteers gathered at the Port Royal Club on
Saturday, Feb. 28, to pack bags of donated food items.

A total of 4,000 meals were prepared and delivered to Mike Davis Elementary
School, a Collier County public school where more than 70% of students qualify
for free or reduced lunch. With one in five children in Florida experiencing food
insecurity, school breaks can be especially challenging for families who rely on
school-based meal programs.

“When school is out, many families face a real hunger gap,” said Feeding Dreams
Founder, Ed Mullen. “Spring break should be a time of fun and rest for children,
but for many families struggling to get by, it can mean little to no food. The goal
of this drive was to take that worry off their shoulders and give families one less
thing to stress about. We’re lucky to be in a community that cares so deeply.
When staff and members come together for a common cause, it is unique and
powerful.”

Despite having one of the highest per capita incomes in Florida, 15.5 % of Collier
County children are classified as “food insecure.” In an effort to combat this need,
Feeding Dreams has provided 15 million nutritious meals to students at 45
schools and after-school sites across the state.

To learn more, visit www.feedingdreams.org.

Feeding Dreams’ Annual Tournament Raises Over $200K

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NAPLES, Fla. – Nov. 10, 2025 – Feeding Dreams, a Naples, FL based non-profit hosted the 7th Annual Feeding Dreams Golf Tournament on Thursday, October 30 at TPC Treviso Bay, bringing together members of the community for a day of friendly competition and philanthropy. This year’s event raised a record-breaking $200,000+ to provide nutritious meals to at-risk children and families across Florida. The event drew 109 golfers and 25 sponsors, marking the most successful fundraiser in the tournament’s history.

“We are deeply grateful to every player, sponsor, and volunteer who helped shatter our fundraising record,” said Jeri Goetz, Executive Director of Feeding Dreams. “This outpouring of support reflects the Naples community’s unwavering commitment to ensuring no child goes hungry on the weekends.”

The tournament kicked off with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start and featured 18-holes of championship golf, breakfast, a buffet lunch, cocktails, live and silent auctions, and prize giveaways. Tournament proceeds will support the Feeding Dreams Power Pack program, providing weekend backpack meals for children who face food insecurity across Florida. In Collier County alone, more than 20 elementary schools and community partners distribute Feeding Dreams Power Packs to children in need. With 65% of local students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, the program bridges a critical gap when school cafeterias are closed.

“This $200,000 milestone is a game-changer for thousands of Florida families,” Goetz added. “It translates into tens of thousands of nutritious meals that will fuel learning, growth, and hope.”

Feeding Dreams thanks its title sponsor Prime Stone Group, LLC and all community partners for making the 2025 tournament an unforgettable success. Planning is already underway for next year’s event.

Key event sponsors included: Prime Stone Group, LLC; MHK Architecture; Kelly Passidomo and Kelly; LG Interiors; Waterfront Realty Group; Porsche Naples, Hoe In One Golf Carts, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, LMCU; J&R Valdez, The Grant Group, Raphael Painting; Winfield Street Coffee; John R. Wood Properties; Barbara Monahan (MVP Realty); Green Mountain Builders; Arbonne International; The Best Nail Studio; Jack’s Seafood Bar & Grill; McDonald & Osborne, P.A.

Suncoast Credit Union Foundation Provides $24,000 to Feeding Dreams

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(Naples, Fla.) — Feeding Dreams announces a new charitable gift of $24,000 from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. The funds will be used to supply Feeding Dreams Power Packs, weekend backpack meals, to 90 children at Hancock Creek Elementary School in Fort Myers, Fla. The purpose of the Weekend Backpack Meals for Hungry Children program is to replace the calories children miss over the 68-hour hunger gap between Friday’s school lunch and Monday morning’s school breakfast. Feeding Dreams provides a “best in class” set of weekend backpack meal offerings including 29 kid-friendly, shelf-stable servings designed to meet or exceed the USDA recommendations for calories, carbohydrates, and protein for elementary school aged children for two days over the weekend. Since 2014, Feeding Dreams has distributed more than 12 million meals to hungry children.

Feeding Dreams Executive Director Jeri Goetz says, “Sixty-eight hours is a long time for a child to go without eating and kids can’t learn on an empty stomach. During the week, students eat breakfast and lunch at school. Over the weekend they often go without eating enough or at all. Our meals fill that 68-hour weekend hunger gap. We know that Power Pack students earn better grades, achieve better attendance, receive fewer behavior infractions, and visit the school nurse less frequently. We’re grateful to Suncoast Credit Union Foundation for supporting the lives and dreams of at-risk children in our community.”

Suncoast Credit Union, Florida’s largest credit union, founded the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to promote the education, health and emotional well-being of children in the community. Each time a Suncoast member uses their debit or credit card, the credit union donates four cents to the Foundation to fund local initiatives. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has raised and donated over $55 million.

“We are fortunate to partner in any endeavor that provides food and nutrition and particularly to vulnerable children who might otherwise go hungry,” said Jeff Kunberger, Executive Director of Suncoast Foundations. “While our mission calls for us to improve the lives of children, we know that when children thrive, so does the community,” he added.

Feeding Dreams helps solve childhood hunger

Pan-Florida Challenge Announces Name Change to Feeding Dreams

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(Naples, Fla.) — After more than a decade of service as Pan-Florida Challenge, the Naples-based non-profit organization will now be known as Feeding Dreams. This transition includes anew brand identity and website, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in its history.

Since 2014, the organization has provided more than 10 million meals to at-risk children throughout Florida. Feeding Dreams will distribute 2.5 million meals this school year and has set an ambitious goal to double the number of meals provided to hungry children over the next two years.

Feeding Dreams distributes Power Packs, weekend backpack meals, to children at more than 45 schools, afterschool programs, and community-based organizations throughout Florida. Feeding Dreams is making a tangible difference in the health and academic performance of elementary school children. Data shows that Feeding Dreams Power Pack students earn higher grades, achieve better attendance, visit the school nurse less frequently, and receive fewer behavior infractions. Power Pack students at Highlands Elementary School had 54% fewer absences. Power Pack students at Avalon Elementary School increased their grade point averages by 9% and decreased clinic visits by 80%.

Executive Director Jeri Goetz says, “We’re not just filling stomachs—we’re creating a pathway to success.” Executive Director Jeri Goetz says, “We believe the new name, Feeding Dreams, accurately captures the organization’s mission of nourishing children and providing them with the opportunity to thrive and build a self-sufficient future. We are grateful to our long-time supporters and look forward to continued

About Feeding Dreams: The mission of Feeding Dreams to combat childhood hunger and malnutrition that affect one in five
children in Florida. Through grants, fundraising efforts, and school partnerships, we deliver highly nutritious meals to chronically hungry children. Helping to break the cycle of poverty, these meals lead to better health and educational performance, laying the foundation for a healthier, self-sufficient future for our children.