I start this week’s narrative with a thank you to everyone who shared an email, phone call, or text message, including those who posted on our social media profiles in recognition of the honor I received earlier this week being named a Top 30 Nonprofit CEO by The Community Foundation of Southwest Florida.
When I first received the email notification, it was clear to me what this recognition represented. As someone still in my first year leading our Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, I am unquestionably standing on decades of groundwork laid by my predecessors and sustained by an extraordinary community. The Community Foundation's selection committee didn't see just me; they saw the cumulative impact of generations of commitment by the Jewish community to Southwest Florida. I am privileged to continue that work, but this honor belongs to everyone from our organization’s earliest chapters to those who have joined me in our newest chapter together.
In this week's Torah portion, we read about Noah and the flood. Gd tells Noah, "Make yourself an ark" (Genesis 6:14). What strikes me about this story is how alone Noah was. The text makes clear that Noah and his family built in isolation, his generation had abandoned the values that sustain community. There is an old story that reminds me of the world in which Noah lived: A community faced drought, and the rabbi asked everyone to bring one bucket of water to fill the communal well. One man thought, "My single bucket won't make a difference," so he lazily brought it empty. When the community finally gathered after all the buckets had been “dumped,” they discovered an empty well. That was Noah's generation. A world where people stopped believing their contribution mattered.
But look at where we are today. The Community Foundation has shown us that Southwest Florida's nonprofit sector includes 5,219 organizations employing over 37,000 people, generating over $4.15 billion in annual impact. The 30 organizations being honored this week represent something Noah never experienced: a community where people fill their buckets. Where individuals believe their time, their resources, their talent makes a difference.
It was evident in the conversations of the CEOs mingling together prior to the ceremony that none of us achieved our successes alone. Every program we run, every family we serve, every life we touch exists because community members chose to come to the well with full buckets. Volunteers who show up. Donors who invest. Board members who lead. Advocates who speak up. Partners who collaborate. You are the ones helping us get through these seemingly dark times in the roughest of waters.
The flood in Noah's story eventually receded. When Noah emerged, he planted a vineyard, he invested in the future. That is the crux of our work together. Each of us has a bucket to fill. Whether you volunteer once a month, serve on a board, donate to a cause, or simply show up for a neighbor, you are building something that outlasts all of us. Please don't underestimate your single contribution. Our community thrives because you keep filling your bucket, trusting it matters. And it does. Because we are Stronger Together!
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