Mary Ellen Bonelli is new to town, having lived in Naples for a little under a year. In that time, however, she’s made a name for herself in around town for helping those who need it most. After seeing our plea to the public about our food pantry in the local paper, Mary Ellen decided to take action.

She started by contacting our Social Services Director, Ashley Jones, to discuss hosting a food drive in her community. Ashley provided Mary Ellen with all of the information she needed to get started, and Mary Ellen left our office full of excitement and a solid plan – a plan that worked. Just a few days later, Mary Ellen pulled her van into our parking lot with a trunk full of donated food for our emergency pantry – 42 bags total!  She organized the entire food drive on her own, and even made flyers to post on her neighbor’s doors. They responded quickly and en masse. Salvation Army supporters like Mary Ellen Bonelli are the true embodiment of  Doing The Most Good.