To the Editor:

Anyone familiar with Florida knows a large percentage of Floridians are only Floridians for part of the year. Often times what they consider to be their main place of residence has an almost unbearable climate from October to March, says Jon Mayhugh, who heads Meals on Wheels for Lee County.

“Unfortunately for us, these individuals not only bring in much needed business, but many of them also volunteer to help out the less fortunate in our community during their stay, Jon Mayhugh said.

Community Cooperative Ministries Inc., (the umbrella agency for such programs as Meals on Wheels of Lee County, and the soup kitchen in east Fort Myers just to name a few) sees roughly 30-40 percent of its volunteer base head north for the summer.

“A majority of these fine volunteers will not return until late October or early November. During this period, organizations such as these are in desperate need of help, particularly with Meals on Wheels and its senior transportation service Faith in Action,” he said.

As most people in this community are probably aware, the needs for the services these programs provide have gone up exponentially over the past couple of years, he said.

For example, the average meal distribution for Meals on Wheels has gone from about 6,000 meals per month in 2008, to what is estimated to be roughly 9,000 meals per month in 2010.

“The need for our year round residents to fill the gap that these seasonal volunteers have left has never been greater,” he said.

You can make a world of difference in your community by dedicating just a small block of time to volunteering during these summer months.

With a time commitment of only two hours a week, for a couple of months or less you can help deliver not only meals, but dignity and independence to your homebound neighbors, Mayhugh said. If you are interested in helping contact Jon Mayhugh at 239-332-0441.