August 27, 2025 • 18 mins
The unexpected heroes of disaster recovery often emerge from the most unlikely places. When Hurricane Ian devastated Fort Myers Beach in 2022, a local golf cart shop transformed overnight into a lifeline for an entire community.
Heidi shares the remarkable origin story of FMB Strong, which began when business owners Tim Ryan and Dan Allers found their building relatively undamaged after the hurricane. As donations began pouring in, what started as a chaotic collection point quickly evolved into an organized distribution center providing generators, tools, water, and essential supplies to devastated residents. The outpouring of support was overwhelming – semi trucks arriving from Wisconsin, donations flooding in from across Florida, and strangers stepping up to help strangers in their darkest hours.
But FMB Strong's impact goes far beyond material aid. The organization became a beacon of hope for the community's most vulnerable members, including those struggling with addiction, homelessness, and elderly residents unable to navigate complex relief systems. Their case manager Patty Benson, herself nearly 30 years in recovery from substance abuse, has helped numerous individuals overcome addiction and rebuild their lives from scratch. As Heidi puts it, "These are the things that we've done... We've really helped people that needed help."
The organization's innovative fundraising approach – an annual "Mrs. Roper" themed event that started with a modest goal of 100 tickets – has exploded into a community-wide celebration attracting 700+ participants and becoming "the biggest day of the year" for many local businesses. Despite facing challenges like donor fatigue and diminishing grants as other disasters command attention, FMB Strong continues providing critical services while adapting to evolving community needs. Their story stands as powerful testament to what becomes possible when everyday people refuse to stand by in the face of catastrophe.
State Insurance USA
4450 Camino Real Way
Ft Myers, FL 33966
239-567-9992
100 Lovers Ln 3rd Floor
Ft Myers Beach, FL 33931
(239) 690-6300
office@StateInsuranceUSA.com
stateinsuranceusa.com
FMB Strong
820 Buttonwood Dr
33931, Fort Myers Beach
(802) 239-1962
info@fmbstrong.org
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to State Insurance USA Cares podcast,
where we celebrate the heart ofour communities.
Each episode, we highlightlocal charities and nonprofits
who are bringing hope, help andhealing to those who need it
most.
Get ready to be inspired by theamazing stories of people
making a difference, becausetogether we care.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, hi, it's Gail Langner with State Insurance USA
and State Insurance Cares.
Our podcast is dedicated to thepeople that we have helped with
State Insurance Cares viadonations, and here today is
Heidi with FMB Strong.
Heidi, thank you so much fortaking the time out of your busy
day to be on the podcast today.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, Gail, thank you for having us and thank you for
being such a great supporter ofFMB Strong.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, we definitely want to do that.
I'm actually the chair of theboard of the Fort Myers Beach
Chamber, so I also like to bringthings out to the beach as
often as I can.
I remember, actually rightabout Ian time I remember Jacki
LisZak at the chamber wastalking about I think it was 820
Buttonwood, 820 Buttonwood andeverybody's going what are you
(01:11):
talking?
What do you mean?
What are you talking about?
And come to find out it was you.
So tell us how F&B Strong, howit even came about.
How did that happen?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So Tim Ryan, who owns other businesses, like the FMB
Bikes, he owns the Island Cartsand now the Cart Check, where
they sell golf carts him and DanEhlers do, yeah, and they're
business partners and ourbuilding only took on about a
(01:40):
foot of water and at that timethere was people calling email
whatever they could do.
You know, what do you need, whatcan we help with?
And all of a sudden people juststarted showing up with stuff.
So at that time Tim and Dankind of pivoted their business
(02:00):
building for us and they turnedaround and got all the golf
carts out of there and they gota crew in there to clean the
building and we startedaccepting donations.
And this had started probablyabout two or three days and all
of a sudden Tim calls me and hesays this is chaos, I need
(02:22):
someone to get in here andorganize this.
So that's where I got involvedwith that.
So from there we were open atthe beginning like seven days a
week, six days a week, early, 7am to 7 pm, pretty much to help
the community.
(02:42):
And we had semi donations fromWisconsin.
The other coast brought instuff.
It's unbelievable.
North of us I mean Tampa areawe just had a ton, ton of stuff
and we all said how are we goingto get rid of all this stuff?
(03:03):
Right, and we did.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
How are we going to get rid of all this stuff?
Right, and we did.
Yeah, I know I remembergenerators and water and people
were people donating generatorsto you, heidi People donated.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yes, Groups got together and purchased
generators.
Kathy and John Nash got a groupof friends together and they
bought a bunch of generators.
Bruce oh, what's Bruce's lastname?
I've drawn a blank on Bruce'slast name, Bruce.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
He had a group.
He understands, I'm sure.
Yes, he's from You'll think ofit tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, he had a group of people that donated
generators.
I mean the Women's Club hadmoney they raised that was given
to them, that they gave usmoney for generators and tools
and power washers and shop vacsand we had lists a mile long of
people who needed those itemsfor cleanup.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I can't even imagine how you organized that.
That must have been.
The logistics of that must havebeen crazy.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
It was.
At first we had like maybe 10shelving units.
We were calling out for anybodywho had.
You know, what do you need?
We need a table, we needsomething to set this stuff on
and we just, you know, we kindof just threw everything where
we could at the time.
And Brian, abby and his wifeand now Angela, they took up a
(04:38):
donation.
They're from Cape Coral.
Never met them before in mylife.
They were there helping.
They took up a donation ontheir venmo from just friends
and went to home depot or lowesand bought a bunch of shelving
units and I mean, everyone justreally stepped up and was
(04:59):
amazing, that's incredible areyou?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
do you live on the beach?
Are you?
Are you?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I live just off the.
I'm still in the beach zip code, but I live on the other side
of the bridge.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Right.
Well, how was your house Were?
You damaged much.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
At that time we just rented and our home was an
entire loss.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
My sister lived in.
Oh, and she's not.
Here we go.
Whatever Bruce's last name isis where my in Indian Indian.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Creek, okay, and we were in Bayside Estates, which
is just across the street, yep.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
So she her daughter lives in Fort Myers and
convinced her that it would be agood idea for her to drive
thank goodness she did to herhome and stay there, and she
ended up with like the shortsand tops that she had on and a
nightgown and, and you know,maybe another shorts and top you
know and that's what.
That's what she ended up to hername.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I stayed past her three days, so that's what we
did, yeah right, right, exactlythree days, yeah, so right.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Three days, yeah, right, but she's at that time
was, you know, 90 years old.
She's 20 years older than meand, yeah, I lost everything.
So well, anyway.
So back to back to you.
So, so the building itselfalready had the golf carts and
things in it when you firststarted.
Is that how it?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yes, okay, so Tim Ryan had owned the building
Right that we operate out of,and so he obviously.
For a year, if not longer,there was no need for any golf
carts.
You were lucky you could getdown the street.
Okay exactly Walk, yeah, anygolf carts.
(06:41):
You were lucky you could getdown the street.
Okay, exactly yeah.
And so he pivoted and hestarted the nonprofit right away
Incredible, and because peoplewere like, you know, we want to
send money for supplies and thisand that and we're like, until
we're nonprofit, we can't, wecan't do that.
So we had other nonprofits kindof help us out until we got our
status, which was in October.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Okay, what do you do now?
I mean, do you continue to be afood pantry?
What's your role now?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
So right now, our food pantry will be open until
September 10th, okay, and thenour role is going to change.
We've helped so many people,right it just I mean I can't
list the amount of, off the topof my head, amount of success
(07:32):
stories that we've had.
Yeah, and you know, and some ofthese success stories come from
people who were actuallyhomeless before ian.
Um, we've helped them get offof drugs and alcohol severe
drugs and we're not talking, youknow, marijuana, we're talking
heroin, fentanyl were severedrugs.
(07:52):
Um, couldn't hold a job, didn'thave a place to live.
Those people, people are nowone gentleman.
Matter of fact, he lived onFort Myers Beach and he's now in
Orlando.
It's been three, two and a half, it'll be two and a half,
almost three years coming upAlcohol-free, drug-free, has his
(08:16):
own apartment, has a wonderfuljob.
I mean, these are the thingsthat we've done and we have a
lot of those success stories.
We've really helped people thatneeded help, a lot of people
that you know were strugglingbefore the storm, struggling
(08:36):
after the storm.
You know, all the way through,you know get people didn't know
how to get their social security.
Some of the elderly, theythey're not, they don't work
with computers, how to get foodstamps, just you know somebody
to talk to, like this what do Ido, where do I go, how do I get
help?
And so we imploded otherresources to.
(09:01):
We found, I should say, otherresources to get these people
help, and Patty Benson thatworks with us.
She's our little case managerand she's amazing.
She can relate to some of thesepeople and I know she won't
mind if I share her story.
Um, but she was.
(09:24):
She's been clean from um heroinand cocaine for almost 30 years
now maybe 35 so she couldrelate to those people um as to
how to help them.
And she's done an amazing joband they see the success that
she's had and they've learnedfrom that.
(09:45):
So, and a funny story I'll sayis how I met Patty.
It was maybe two weeks afterthe hurricane and I saw her
limping down Buttonwood.
I didn't know her before thatfrom Adam.
I saw her limping downButtonwood.
I didn't know her before thatfrom Adam.
I saw her limping downButtonwood.
She had a boot on her foot, shehad broken her leg during the
(10:06):
hurricane.
And I said hey, little lady.
I said can I help you?
What do you need?
And she's like, oh.
And I said come on, let me helpyou.
And she came through the doorand we had just gotten in some
work boots.
They were giving away workboots.
Cassie Nash grabbed her andsaid you need to get a higher
shoe on your other foot soyou're not so lopsided.
(10:28):
And we got her a pair of workboots and we helped her.
And she'll literally, when shetells her story, it's very hard
to hear, but she's like we savedher life.
Oh, heidi tells her story.
It's very hard to hear, butshe's like we saved her life, oh
you know, and she then became apart of us through that.
So, um, after about a year thatwe were there was it a year, I
(10:51):
can't remember how long, maybenot quite a year, but we
partnered with um and actuallyjackie from the chamber had told
us about CareerSource.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yes, we've used them.
Have you as well.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
We used them.
We had a great staff of likesix people.
Yeah, we could get that.
We used them and we used themuntil we could not use them
anymore Anymore.
Yeah, and that truly trulyhelped us get to where it was
today, because you can't run anentire what we do on a volunteer
(11:31):
basis, Volunteers no.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Well, those grants really helped.
I don't know how Jackie foundthem originally Like I said, I'm
on her board but it reallyhelped us at the chamber when we
were stuck too, we didn't haveany income.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah, so they really, really helped and with that it
let us help a lot of people.
And since that, of course,we've partnered with United Way,
Red Cross and they've donegreat things for us and we'll
(12:11):
still be partners with them.
Right, However, and as you know, funding is an issue.
It is and I've been calling itdonor fatigue.
Right, For three years, peoplehave been opening their
pocketbooks to help and help,and help and it's just to the
point where you can't do itanymore.
(12:33):
Right, you know it just gets tothat point.
And you know, even some of likethe Red Cross they had grants,
but then things happened innorthern Florida.
So all that money that theythought the grants would come to
us here in southwest Florida,the Red Cross ended up taking
and putting that money north.
They needed it, yeah, theyneeded it.
(12:53):
You know we kind of have tofend for yourself and we have
some great monthly supportersand it's just not enough.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Well, and your fundraisers?
Oh my gosh, tell for thosepeople that don't know.
Tell them about Mrs Ropers,that is.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
So Eliza, that used to be with us, she actually
still is with us.
She does all of our and youknow Eliza, Gail oh yeah, we're
still Facebook friends.
Yes, she does all of ourFacebook stuff, like that.
She one day, how she came upwith it, she told me the story I
can't remember and I'm likeshe's crazy, this is never going
(13:35):
to work.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Well, she is crazy anyway.
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
But we love her and I thought this is never going to
work and I'm like, okay, we'regoing to do this, we've got to
try something.
And I'm like, okay, if we canget 100 tickets sold you know,
that was our goal was like 100tickets.
And we sold out all 300 ticketsthe first year.
And boy did we learn a lotafter that first year of what to
(13:59):
do, what not to do, right.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
And for those that don't know and don't remember,
Three's Company Mrs Roper was onThree's Company and she dressed
in caftans and she had crazyhair and yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Big sunglasses.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Sunglasses.
Yeah, yeah, so, and everybodydressed.
You know, we were just talkinga second ago, even Alex King was
like dressed like Mrs Roper,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
So we did that and we thought, you know, our focus
was kind of on 100 people and itexploded.
And then last year was year twoand that we thought, ok, we're
going to get 500 tickets.
Well, 500 tickets sold out andthere were still people that
didn't have a ticket, thatdidn't care and were still
joining in.
I lost count after people werecalling and checking in late.
(14:53):
It was right around 700 people.
Oh my gosh.
What a huge success it was hugeand there are some spots on the
island that say it's theirbiggest day of the year.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yep, exactly.
Well, it helps everybody.
It's a win-win for the entirebeach.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah whether it be parking, restaurants and
everything.
Yeah, you know, there's peoplethat fly in just for that.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Hotels, restaurants, I know Crazy Well like I said,
it is a win-win, that's for sure.
Yes, well, if somebody wantedto help you, what do you need
more than anything?
Money, right, obviously, yes,Right, help you.
What do you need more thananything?
Money, right, obviously, yes,right.
Um, anything else?
Is there anything people thatthey say, well, I could donate?
Or how about volunteer?
Do you need volunteers, or areyou okay in that?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
we're okay in that aspect right now.
All right, um, but yes, moneyis a huge, huge portion of it?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
And what's your website?
Is it fmbstrong?
Fmbstrongorg?
Yep, okay, yeah, I'm surethere's a donate button there,
right.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Yes, there is.
There is a donate button there.
Yes, absolutely, and we will bedoing the Roper fundraiser
again this year.
It will be February 7th.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
February.
Okay, we'll mark our calendarsfor that.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yep, so we're hoping to start selling tickets around
October 1st.
We're trying to wait until wehopefully get through the worst
of September with everythingthat happens.
I know we've unsubscribed thisyear, so we're hoping we have no
issues.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Done with that.
I know, working for stateinsurance me it was.
It was heartbreaking for us tobecause we're actually we're the
liaison between our clients andthe insurance carriers, right,
yeah, and so it was.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
You know, all hands on deck and yeah, it was
heartbreaking, you know just tohear everybody's story and then,
oh and, like you said, you'rethe middleman, there's not much
you can right and the thing istoo, not to you know.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I know so many people were so upset with the
insurance carriers.
But you think with uh, with ouragency here in southwest
florida, we had our clients.
Had we maybe had about six orseven thousand of our clients
that had claims, about 200people lost everything.
But think about the insurancecarriers that had.
If we had six or 7,000 of ourclients that had claims, about
(17:20):
200 people lost everything.
But think about the insurancecarriers that had if we had six
or 7,000, just think.
And so people would say abouttheir desk adjuster.
They'd say, well, they're gone,I got a new one.
They were quitting, it's justthey couldn't take the stress.
You know it was yeah yeah, soanyway, people had to start all
over Right.
And not that all of them werefabulous the carriers Maybe they
weren't, we know the stories,but in their defense it was.
(17:44):
They're human beings too.
Exactly so whenever I wouldtalk to them, I'd say thank you
for what you do, and sometimesthey would just start to cry and
say thank you for saying that.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Because we're, we're completely overwhelmed, you know
.
So, yeah, when people get upset, they get mean exactly right,
it's a nature you know.
They want, yeah, mostly peoplewant to be heard right, right,
exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Yeah, well, heidi, thank you so much for taking
time out of your day to be onthis podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
I really, really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I'll make sure that, when all said and done and we
get a link and you can have itto put on your Facebook page or
your website or whatever, and sopeople can hear your story,
because it needs to be heard.
It needs to be heard.
So, thank you so much and wehope you have a great day, you
too.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Thank you for joining us on State Insurance USA Cares
.
We hope today's story upliftedand inspired you.
If you'd like to support orlearn more about the incredible
work happening in your community, visit stateinsuranceusa.
com or call 239-567-9992.
You can also visit cabowabojim.
com.
Until next time, be sure to letyour sun shine and keep sharing
(18:55):
good and positive vibeswherever the waves take you.
Welcome to State Insurance USA Cares podcast,
where we celebrate the heart ofour communities.
Each episode, we highlightlocal charities and nonprofits
who are bringing hope, help andhealing to those who need it
most.
Get ready to be inspired by theamazing stories of people
making a difference, becausetogether we care.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, hi, it's Gail Langner with State Insurance USA
and State Insurance Cares.
Our podcast is dedicated to thepeople that we have helped with
State Insurance Cares viadonations, and here today is
Heidi with FMB Strong.
Heidi, thank you so much fortaking the time out of your busy
day to be on the podcast today.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, Gail, thank you for having us and thank you for
being such a great supporter ofFMB Strong.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, we definitely want to do that.
I'm actually the chair of theboard of the Fort Myers Beach
Chamber, so I also like to bringthings out to the beach as
often as I can.
I remember, actually rightabout Ian time I remember Jacki
LisZak at the chamber wastalking about I think it was 820
Buttonwood, 820 Buttonwood andeverybody's going what are you
(01:11):
talking?
What do you mean?
What are you talking about?
And come to find out it was you.
So tell us how F&B Strong, howit even came about.
How did that happen?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So Tim Ryan, who owns other businesses, like the FMB
Bikes, he owns the Island Cartsand now the Cart Check, where
they sell golf carts him and DanEhlers do, yeah, and they're
business partners and ourbuilding only took on about a
(01:40):
foot of water and at that timethere was people calling email
whatever they could do.
You know, what do you need, whatcan we help with?
And all of a sudden people juststarted showing up with stuff.
So at that time Tim and Dankind of pivoted their business
(02:00):
building for us and they turnedaround and got all the golf
carts out of there and they gota crew in there to clean the
building and we startedaccepting donations.
And this had started probablyabout two or three days and all
of a sudden Tim calls me and hesays this is chaos, I need
(02:22):
someone to get in here andorganize this.
So that's where I got involvedwith that.
So from there we were open atthe beginning like seven days a
week, six days a week, early, 7am to 7 pm, pretty much to help
the community.
(02:42):
And we had semi donations fromWisconsin.
The other coast brought instuff.
It's unbelievable.
North of us I mean Tampa areawe just had a ton, ton of stuff
and we all said how are we goingto get rid of all this stuff?
(03:03):
Right, and we did.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
How are we going to get rid of all this stuff?
Right, and we did.
Yeah, I know I remembergenerators and water and people
were people donating generatorsto you, heidi People donated.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yes, Groups got together and purchased
generators.
Kathy and John Nash got a groupof friends together and they
bought a bunch of generators.
Bruce oh, what's Bruce's lastname?
I've drawn a blank on Bruce'slast name, Bruce.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
He had a group.
He understands, I'm sure.
Yes, he's from You'll think ofit tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, he had a group of people that donated
generators.
I mean the Women's Club hadmoney they raised that was given
to them, that they gave usmoney for generators and tools
and power washers and shop vacsand we had lists a mile long of
people who needed those itemsfor cleanup.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I can't even imagine how you organized that.
That must have been.
The logistics of that must havebeen crazy.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
It was.
At first we had like maybe 10shelving units.
We were calling out for anybodywho had.
You know, what do you need?
We need a table, we needsomething to set this stuff on
and we just, you know, we kindof just threw everything where
we could at the time.
And Brian, abby and his wifeand now Angela, they took up a
(04:38):
donation.
They're from Cape Coral.
Never met them before in mylife.
They were there helping.
They took up a donation ontheir venmo from just friends
and went to home depot or lowesand bought a bunch of shelving
units and I mean, everyone justreally stepped up and was
(04:59):
amazing, that's incredible areyou?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
do you live on the beach?
Are you?
Are you?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I live just off the.
I'm still in the beach zip code, but I live on the other side
of the bridge.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Right.
Well, how was your house Were?
You damaged much.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
At that time we just rented and our home was an
entire loss.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
My sister lived in.
Oh, and she's not.
Here we go.
Whatever Bruce's last name isis where my in Indian Indian.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Creek, okay, and we were in Bayside Estates, which
is just across the street, yep.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
So she her daughter lives in Fort Myers and
convinced her that it would be agood idea for her to drive
thank goodness she did to herhome and stay there, and she
ended up with like the shortsand tops that she had on and a
nightgown and, and you know,maybe another shorts and top you
know and that's what.
That's what she ended up to hername.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I stayed past her three days, so that's what we
did, yeah right, right, exactlythree days, yeah, so right.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Three days, yeah, right, but she's at that time
was, you know, 90 years old.
She's 20 years older than meand, yeah, I lost everything.
So well, anyway.
So back to back to you.
So, so the building itselfalready had the golf carts and
things in it when you firststarted.
Is that how it?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yes, okay, so Tim Ryan had owned the building
Right that we operate out of,and so he obviously.
For a year, if not longer,there was no need for any golf
carts.
You were lucky you could getdown the street.
Okay exactly Walk, yeah, anygolf carts.
(06:41):
You were lucky you could getdown the street.
Okay, exactly yeah.
And so he pivoted and hestarted the nonprofit right away
Incredible, and because peoplewere like, you know, we want to
send money for supplies and thisand that and we're like, until
we're nonprofit, we can't, wecan't do that.
So we had other nonprofits kindof help us out until we got our
status, which was in October.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Okay, what do you do now?
I mean, do you continue to be afood pantry?
What's your role now?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
So right now, our food pantry will be open until
September 10th, okay, and thenour role is going to change.
We've helped so many people,right it just I mean I can't
list the amount of, off the topof my head, amount of success
(07:32):
stories that we've had.
Yeah, and you know, and some ofthese success stories come from
people who were actuallyhomeless before ian.
Um, we've helped them get offof drugs and alcohol severe
drugs and we're not talking, youknow, marijuana, we're talking
heroin, fentanyl were severedrugs.
(07:52):
Um, couldn't hold a job, didn'thave a place to live.
Those people, people are nowone gentleman.
Matter of fact, he lived onFort Myers Beach and he's now in
Orlando.
It's been three, two and a half, it'll be two and a half,
almost three years coming upAlcohol-free, drug-free, has his
(08:16):
own apartment, has a wonderfuljob.
I mean, these are the thingsthat we've done and we have a
lot of those success stories.
We've really helped people thatneeded help, a lot of people
that you know were strugglingbefore the storm, struggling
(08:36):
after the storm.
You know, all the way through,you know get people didn't know
how to get their social security.
Some of the elderly, theythey're not, they don't work
with computers, how to get foodstamps, just you know somebody
to talk to, like this what do Ido, where do I go, how do I get
help?
And so we imploded otherresources to.
(09:01):
We found, I should say, otherresources to get these people
help, and Patty Benson thatworks with us.
She's our little case managerand she's amazing.
She can relate to some of thesepeople and I know she won't
mind if I share her story.
Um, but she was.
(09:24):
She's been clean from um heroinand cocaine for almost 30 years
now maybe 35 so she couldrelate to those people um as to
how to help them.
And she's done an amazing joband they see the success that
she's had and they've learnedfrom that.
(09:45):
So, and a funny story I'll sayis how I met Patty.
It was maybe two weeks afterthe hurricane and I saw her
limping down Buttonwood.
I didn't know her before thatfrom Adam.
I saw her limping downButtonwood.
I didn't know her before thatfrom Adam.
I saw her limping downButtonwood.
She had a boot on her foot, shehad broken her leg during the
(10:06):
hurricane.
And I said hey, little lady.
I said can I help you?
What do you need?
And she's like, oh.
And I said come on, let me helpyou.
And she came through the doorand we had just gotten in some
work boots.
They were giving away workboots.
Cassie Nash grabbed her andsaid you need to get a higher
shoe on your other foot soyou're not so lopsided.
(10:28):
And we got her a pair of workboots and we helped her.
And she'll literally, when shetells her story, it's very hard
to hear, but she's like we savedher life.
Oh, heidi tells her story.
It's very hard to hear, butshe's like we saved her life, oh
you know, and she then became apart of us through that.
So, um, after about a year thatwe were there was it a year, I
(10:51):
can't remember how long, maybenot quite a year, but we
partnered with um and actuallyjackie from the chamber had told
us about CareerSource.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yes, we've used them.
Have you as well.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
We used them.
We had a great staff of likesix people.
Yeah, we could get that.
We used them and we used themuntil we could not use them
anymore Anymore.
Yeah, and that truly trulyhelped us get to where it was
today, because you can't run anentire what we do on a volunteer
(11:31):
basis, Volunteers no.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Well, those grants really helped.
I don't know how Jackie foundthem originally Like I said, I'm
on her board but it reallyhelped us at the chamber when we
were stuck too, we didn't haveany income.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah, so they really, really helped and with that it
let us help a lot of people.
And since that, of course,we've partnered with United Way,
Red Cross and they've donegreat things for us and we'll
(12:11):
still be partners with them.
Right, However, and as you know, funding is an issue.
It is and I've been calling itdonor fatigue.
Right, For three years, peoplehave been opening their
pocketbooks to help and help,and help and it's just to the
point where you can't do itanymore.
(12:33):
Right, you know it just gets tothat point.
And you know, even some of likethe Red Cross they had grants,
but then things happened innorthern Florida.
So all that money that theythought the grants would come to
us here in southwest Florida,the Red Cross ended up taking
and putting that money north.
They needed it, yeah, theyneeded it.
(12:53):
You know we kind of have tofend for yourself and we have
some great monthly supportersand it's just not enough.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Well, and your fundraisers?
Oh my gosh, tell for thosepeople that don't know.
Tell them about Mrs Ropers,that is.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
So Eliza, that used to be with us, she actually
still is with us.
She does all of our and youknow Eliza, Gail oh yeah, we're
still Facebook friends.
Yes, she does all of ourFacebook stuff, like that.
She one day, how she came upwith it, she told me the story I
can't remember and I'm likeshe's crazy, this is never going
(13:35):
to work.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Well, she is crazy anyway.
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
But we love her and I thought this is never going to
work and I'm like, okay, we'regoing to do this, we've got to
try something.
And I'm like, okay, if we canget 100 tickets sold you know,
that was our goal was like 100tickets.
And we sold out all 300 ticketsthe first year.
And boy did we learn a lotafter that first year of what to
(13:59):
do, what not to do, right.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
And for those that don't know and don't remember,
Three's Company Mrs Roper was onThree's Company and she dressed
in caftans and she had crazyhair and yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Big sunglasses.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Sunglasses.
Yeah, yeah, so, and everybodydressed.
You know, we were just talkinga second ago, even Alex King was
like dressed like Mrs Roper,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
So we did that and we thought, you know, our focus
was kind of on 100 people and itexploded.
And then last year was year twoand that we thought, ok, we're
going to get 500 tickets.
Well, 500 tickets sold out andthere were still people that
didn't have a ticket, thatdidn't care and were still
joining in.
I lost count after people werecalling and checking in late.
(14:53):
It was right around 700 people.
Oh my gosh.
What a huge success it was hugeand there are some spots on the
island that say it's theirbiggest day of the year.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yep, exactly.
Well, it helps everybody.
It's a win-win for the entirebeach.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah whether it be parking, restaurants and
everything.
Yeah, you know, there's peoplethat fly in just for that.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Hotels, restaurants, I know Crazy Well like I said,
it is a win-win, that's for sure.
Yes, well, if somebody wantedto help you, what do you need
more than anything?
Money, right, obviously, yes,Right, help you.
What do you need more thananything?
Money, right, obviously, yes,right.
Um, anything else?
Is there anything people thatthey say, well, I could donate?
Or how about volunteer?
Do you need volunteers, or areyou okay in that?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
we're okay in that aspect right now.
All right, um, but yes, moneyis a huge, huge portion of it?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
And what's your website?
Is it fmbstrong?
Fmbstrongorg?
Yep, okay, yeah, I'm surethere's a donate button there,
right.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Yes, there is.
There is a donate button there.
Yes, absolutely, and we will bedoing the Roper fundraiser
again this year.
It will be February 7th.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
February.
Okay, we'll mark our calendarsfor that.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yep, so we're hoping to start selling tickets around
October 1st.
We're trying to wait until wehopefully get through the worst
of September with everythingthat happens.
I know we've unsubscribed thisyear, so we're hoping we have no
issues.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Done with that.
I know, working for stateinsurance me it was.
It was heartbreaking for us tobecause we're actually we're the
liaison between our clients andthe insurance carriers, right,
yeah, and so it was.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
You know, all hands on deck and yeah, it was
heartbreaking, you know just tohear everybody's story and then,
oh and, like you said, you'rethe middleman, there's not much
you can right and the thing istoo, not to you know.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I know so many people were so upset with the
insurance carriers.
But you think with uh, with ouragency here in southwest
florida, we had our clients.
Had we maybe had about six orseven thousand of our clients
that had claims, about 200people lost everything.
But think about the insurancecarriers that had.
If we had six or 7,000 of ourclients that had claims, about
(17:20):
200 people lost everything.
But think about the insurancecarriers that had if we had six
or 7,000, just think.
And so people would say abouttheir desk adjuster.
They'd say, well, they're gone,I got a new one.
They were quitting, it's justthey couldn't take the stress.
You know it was yeah yeah, soanyway, people had to start all
over Right.
And not that all of them werefabulous the carriers Maybe they
weren't, we know the stories,but in their defense it was.
(17:44):
They're human beings too.
Exactly so whenever I wouldtalk to them, I'd say thank you
for what you do, and sometimesthey would just start to cry and
say thank you for saying that.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Because we're, we're completely overwhelmed, you know
.
So, yeah, when people get upset, they get mean exactly right,
it's a nature you know.
They want, yeah, mostly peoplewant to be heard right, right,
exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Yeah, well, heidi, thank you so much for taking
time out of your day to be onthis podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
I really, really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I'll make sure that, when all said and done and we
get a link and you can have itto put on your Facebook page or
your website or whatever, and sopeople can hear your story,
because it needs to be heard.
It needs to be heard.
So, thank you so much and wehope you have a great day, you
too.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Thank you for joining us on State Insurance USA Cares
.
We hope today's story upliftedand inspired you.
If you'd like to support orlearn more about the incredible
work happening in your community, visit stateinsuranceusa.
com or call 239-567-9992.
You can also visit cabowabojim.
com.
Until next time, be sure to letyour sun shine and keep sharing
(18:55):
good and positive vibeswherever the waves take you.
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