Naples Children & Education Foundation provides $600,000 grant to Legal Aid Service of Collier County

Naples Children & Education Foundation provides $600,000 grant to Legal Aid Service of Collier County

Legal Aid Service of Collier County (Legal Aid) received a $600,000 grant from the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, to support the Legal Aid for Collier Kids Project serving over 500 at-risk children in the county annually.

“We are so grateful to NCEF for this incredible support of our program serving at-risk children in Collier County,” said Carol O’Callaghan, deputy executive director of Legal Aid Service of Collier County. “The Legal Aid for Collier Kids project is truly transformational in its impact on the lives of the children and the community at large. Many of these children have been abused, neglected, or abandoned, or have disabilities that impact their ability to learn. The legal advocacy NCEF generously enables Legal Aid to provide keeps children safe, healthy, and in secure and nurturing environments to help them thrive emotionally, physically, and academically so they have an opportunity to reach their full potential.”

The grant was formally announced at NCEF’s grants award ceremony on March 18 and will cover the 2024-2025 grant term.

The Legal Aid for Collier Kids Project was launched in 2012 through the support of NCEF, and last year assisted over 620 children with free legal services. The children served by the project include those who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned, and those who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence. The project also assists children being raised by non-parental “kinship” caregivers, and children with disabilities in need of accommodations, supports, or services at school to which they are entitled under law, according to Legal Aid.