The Naples Children Foundation (NCF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, celebrated the official opening of the NCF Pediatric Health Center with a ribbon cutting and open house on Friday, October 9, marking a significant milestone in the Foundation’s efforts to expand access to critical services for children and families in Immokalee.
Located adjacent to David Lawrence Centers at 429 N. 1st Street, the renovated 3,600-square-foot facility reflects NCF’s philanthropic strategy of building sustainable partnerships and integrating resources to address critical community needs. The Center includes clinician rooms, a kitchen, conference space, food pantry and backyard, creating a shared environment where families can access multiple forms of care and support closer to home.
“Families in Immokalee can face significant barriers to accessing the care their children need, whether it’s transportation, distance, finding the right provider or coordinating appointments across multiple locations,” said Sarah Zaiser-Kelly, Senior Vice President of Grants & Community Impact at the Naples Children Foundation. “By bringing specialized providers and critical resources together in one place, we’re making it easier for families to access more coordinated care that supports the needs of the whole child and family, closer to home.”
The NCF Pediatric Health Center brings together a growing network of organizations providing healthcare and supportive services. University of Florida College of Dentistry provides prevention-focused oral healthcare; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute provides pediatric vision screenings, comprehensive exams, eyeglasses and referrals for advanced care; Golisano Children’s Rehabilitation of Immokalee provides physical, occupational and speech therapy; and ABLE Academy’s STAR Initiative provides behavioral health services and support for children, families and educators.
Beyond clinical services, the Center is designed to address other factors that can affect a child and family’s well-being. Meals of Hope operates a Choice Food Pantry serving patients and families receiving services; Healthy Start of Southwest Florida connects families with essentials, developmental screenings and additional resources; NCH (Naples Comprehensive Health) provides bilingual prenatal and childbirth education; and Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida helps families navigate Medicaid and other public assistance programs.
Services are available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, helping make resources more accessible to the families who call Immokalee home.
Although the ribbon cutting marked the Center’s official celebration, since its doors opened in 2024, the impact has been felt throughout Immokalee. Thousands of children and families have been reached through oral health, vision, behavioral health and therapy services, while families have also received critical support through food assistance, developmental resources, prenatal education and public assistance navigation. Together, these efforts demonstrate the value of bringing comprehensive care and family resources together in one accessible location.
The October 9 celebration included remarks from Zaiser-Kelly; Steve Popper, President and CEO of Meals of Hope; Dr. Emad Salman, Vice President and Chief Physician Executive for Children’s Services at Lee Health; and Alma Galindo, an NCF Pediatric Health Center service recipient, followed by the official ribbon cutting and tours of the facility.
The NCF Pediatric Health Center demonstrates the Foundation’s broader approach to philanthropy: identifying community needs, bringing together organizations with complementary expertise and strategically integrating resources to build stronger systems of support for Collier County’s children.
