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.

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.

NAPLES, Fla. – Nov. 10, 2025 – Feeding Dreams, a Naples, FL based non-profit hosted the 7^th 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.

(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.

Naples, Fla. — Jan. 30, 2026 — Feeding Dreams, a Naples-based non-profit, raised $1 million to support meals, mentorships, and scholarships for at-risk children across Florida during a January 23 event at the Naples Yacht Club. The celebration drew 134 guests and featured dinner, entertainment, and a paddle raise. The funds raised will support the organization’s weekend meals program and two new initiatives, The Feeding Dreams Scholarship and Mentor Program.

“This night was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose,” said Ed Mullen, founder and chairman of Feeding Dreams. “The incredible support we received will ensure thousands of kids in need are fed and supported through mentorship and post-secondary education opportunities.” Since its founding, Feeding Dreams has provided more than 12 million nutritious meals to children facing hunger. The Feeding Dreams Scholarship and Mentor Program pairs community leaders who volunteer as mentors with students from underserved backgrounds in Collier County. Mentors offer career guidance, resources, and encouragement to help students navigate through high school and into college or vocational school. By combining nutritional support with mentorship and scholarships, Feeding Dreams aims to help students overcome barriers and escape poverty.

“Education provides the way out of poverty,” Mullen added. “Feeding Dreams’ three-pronged approach—food, mentoring, and scholarships—is how we lift children out of hardship and help them build a life of self-sufficiency.”

The event featured live music and a live painting experience from acclaimed New York City artist Ariel Soto who created a one-of-a-kind piece inspired by childrens’ dreams. The artwork served as a moving visual reminder of the organization’s goal of nourishing both bodies and dreams.

NAPLES, Fla. – Nov. 18, 2025 – Feeding Dreams announces a new charitable gift of $20,000 from the Collier Community Foundation. The funds will be used to supply Power Packs, weekend backpack meals, to children at Guadalupe Center in Immokalee, 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 15 kid-friendly, shelf stable meals designed to meet or exceed the USDA recommendations for calories, carbohydrates, and protein for elementary school aged children for two days over the weekend.

“68 hours is a long time for a child to go without eating and kids can’t learn on an empty stomach,” said Feeding Dreams Executive Director Jeri Goetz. “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 Feeding Dreams Power Pack students earn better grades, achieve better attendance, receive fewer behavior infractions, and visit the school nurse less frequently. We’re grateful to Collier Community Foundation.”