by SC Feature Writer Reanna Haase
Fresh off a record-breaking campaign season, United Way and its partners on Sanibel and Captiva Islands are gearing up for another unparalleled chapter of philanthropic outreach, set to begin in November.
After a three-year streak of raising over $600,000, the most recent Sanibel-Captiva campaign earned the most it ever has – just over $705,000 was donated to United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties in April 2024.
“I have never seen a group of people go through so much, but yet still want to serve the whole community and still be generous and help while they were all recovering,” said Jeannine Joy, President and CEO of United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.”
“It’s just because they saw the need and they knew it was beyond just ‘let’s look at me,’ it was ‘let’s look at all of us’,” she said.
Joy shared that she was getting goosebumps just thinking about the island residents’ tremendous generosity, even though United Way decided not to hold an official campaign last year during the island’s continued recovery after Hurricane Ian.
“They raised more money than they had ever raised before,” Joy said. “It’s a special group of people who live on the island, who really believe in supporting one another, but also at the same time supporting the whole community,” said Joy. “They really are especially good people, and the volunteers that run the campaign out there are just tremendous.”
FISH of SanCap is a longtime partner and resiliency hub for United Way, directly connecting Sanibel and Captiva residents to the organization. Joy said that FISH, located at 2422 Periwinkle Way, serves as a connector to the United Way and an insider set of eyes to determine what resources are required for people in need.
“For us, it’s about improving the quality of life for everyone in our community, and that means different things for different people,” Joy said. “It’s not just about the big issues, such as hunger or homelessness; it goes even beyond that. I always like to remind people there are equal opportunity problems out there.”
Tony Lapi, part-owner of Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts, which includes ‘Tween Waters Island Resort and Spa, said he may be the longest-standing United Way board member. One of his favorite things about the organization is the efficiency it shows.
“People have trust in what we do,” Lapi said. “If you give to a charity or a foundation, sometimes you don’t know where it’s going and the beauty of United Way is that if you’re giving money, you may never see the results, but those results are happening every day.”
Lapi shared that a team from United Way goes out each year to ensure that all partner agencies are using the money allocated to them properly because every dollar counts. The owner of the popular vacation destination said philanthropy is an integral part of his company, and he hopes that other organizations will soon follow in their footsteps.
“Some of my employees, who basically live paycheck to paycheck, still donate some of their paychecks to the United Way, and we, as a company, match it dollar for dollar. I’d like to see more companies do that,” Lapi said.
To celebrate the major donors on Sanibel and Captiva each year, at the end of the campaign, Lapi hosts his annual ‘Hog Roast.’ He said this is a unique way for them to recognize people who give $1,500 or more and to bring everyone together at the end of the campaign.
“It just brings people together to say, ‘Look, we really appreciate what you’ve done and we know you believe in the United Way. So do us a favor, go out and knock on your neighbor’s door. If they’re not a giver, see if you can get them to give, and we’ll bring them to the hog roast next year’,” Lapi said.
Lapi shared that his committee may be looking to plan a golf tournament for this year’s campaign, which will stretch from November until April 2025, and the proceeds will be donated to the United Way.
In the meantime, leading up to the campaign, the United Way President and CEO overseeingSanibel and Captiva Islands said it is important to remember: “We’re still here for people. We’re here in blue and gray skies and want to help everybody. So, dial 2-1-1 and get connected, or go to FISH,” Joy said.
Leave a Comment