Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, recently honored Lee County community partners who have made a significant impact on the organization and its mission.
“Our Better Together team is so grateful for the donors, volunteers, partners and advocates who support us in fulfilling our mission of helping families overcome crisis,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “These groups and individuals are the reason we are able to change lives and allow our community to flourish, and it was an honor to recognize many of them for their generosity and unwavering support this year.”
Better Together recognized honorees for their impact during the reception held March 26 at the Collaboratory in Fort Myers. Honorees include:
- Host Family of the Year was presented to Danielle and Nathan Flood for hosting six children in their home and caring for them like one of their own. Carisha, whose son Jaiden stayed with the Floods, said once she met them, she knew that everything was going to be okay.
- Doug Campbell Generosity Award was presented to Peter Rivera for being a generous supporter of Better Together. In the fall, his company, Gaea Landscaping, sponsored Better Together’s Night of Million Dreams gala. He was also the first to raise his paddle to start the bidding. He genuinely cares about his community and inspires through servant leadership, hard work and giving back.
- Community Partner of the Year was presented to RYAN Healing Center for their partnership with Better Together. The collaboration in hosting children and mentoring parents has helped families who are struggling with addiction see long-term success.
- Church Partner of the Year was presented to Grace Church for their long-standing support. The church has been participating in the Better Together jobs ministry since 2021. They have hosted six second chance job fairs, connecting 811 job seekers to opportunities, and the church is planning a seventh job fair on April 18 as part of Nationwide Days of Second Chances.
- Department of Children and Families Partner of the Year was presented to Theresa Fracek for going above and beyond to help families. She works tirelessly behind the scenes, and her dedication and passion are truly gifts to the community.
- Mentor of the Year was presented to Meredith Kendall for her mentorship to mom Lindsey Taylor. The two met in August and now call each other friends. Taylor shared that Kendall has given her guidance, honest opinions, advice and has lent a judge-free ear when she needed it. She says that Kendall is a truly inspirational person, and she is grateful that Better Together brought them together.
- Super Volunteer of the Year was presented to Hector Figueroa for always going above and beyond. He first connected with Better Together after Hurricane Ian in 2022 and has been answering the call to help ever since. Whether it is helping us deliver supplies or hot meals, dressing as an elf for our Christmas events, or driving a giant U-Haul truck to transport family supplies, he is there.
- Staff Appreciation Award was presented to Dawson Jordan for telling the impactful stories of Better Together through video. As Better Together’s creative director, his work motivates viewers to take action and make a difference in their community.
Better Together helps parents who are going through a hard time to keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. With the help of donors and hundreds of volunteers and church communities, Better Together builds lasting support systems that help families cope with hardships – such as job loss, substance abuse, homelessness and jail time – and ensures that children are cared for in a safe home until the family can be reunited. To date, the program has served over 9,000 children and kept 98% of families together, while helping 42,000 job seekers across 22 states find employment.
To learn more about Better Together and its mission, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.
