Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Last Friday, August 1, the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce joined forces with NCH Marco Urgent Care and Our Daily Bread Food Pantry to host a community-wide food and blood drive, and the results were nothing short of inspiring. 

The NCH Community Blood Center’s bloodmobile was on-site, drawing strong participation from locals. In total, 37 donors rolled up their sleeves, resulting in 33 pints of blood collected - enough to potentially save nearly 100 lives. At the same time, residents contributed generously to the food collection effort, donating 405 pounds of nonperishable items to help stock the shelves of Our Daily Bread. 

“We are so grateful for the generosity of the Marco Island community,” said Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, Executive Director of Our Daily Bread Food Pantry. “Every pound of food collected goes directly to helping local families in need, and events like this remind us that when we work together, we can make a real and lasting difference.” 

The event was also an opportunity for NCH Marco Urgent Care to connect with community-minded individuals. With the help of dedicated volunteer Sandy Munson, the urgent care successfully recruited five new volunteers to join the NCH team on Marco Island. 

Dianna Dohm, Executive Director of the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce and Chair for the Marco Urgent Care Committee, said she was overjoyed by the turnout and spirit of giving. “This event truly showed the heart of our Marco Island community,” Dohm said. “Seeing so many people come together to give blood, donate food, and support their neighbors is incredibly uplifting. I’m proud to be a part of something that’s making a real difference.” 

Organizers say this will not be the last time Marco Island sees a collaboration of this kind. Plans are already in the works for future community drives. 

In addition to celebrating the event’s success, NCH on Marco Island is looking toward an exciting future. This fall, the urgent care will open its new, expanded facility, with private patient rooms, lab testing, and advanced diagnostics to better serve the communities’ medical needs. Serving island residents for 40 years, NCH Marco Urgent Care is staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians – a level of expertise not available at basic walk-in clinics. With industry-leading partners in orthopedics, pediatrics, and cancer, NCH is elevating access to top-quality, comprehensive care through a locally governed and community-responsive model. The new facility will continue its tradition of hosting monthly blood drives with NCH Community Blood Center from 8:30 a.m. – noon on the first Thursday of each month. 

“All in all, this was a day about neighbors helping neighbors,” Dohm added. “We saved lives, fed families, and strengthened the bonds in our community and that’s something worth celebrating.”