Charlotte Rae Nicely

The public is invited to the free Lift Up Leigh that will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 2. This is the third annual Lift Up Lehigh and is designed as a fun day and a day to let the community know about non-profit organizations and no/low cost service providers who come together to distribute assistance information to underserved residents of Lehigh Acres.

Charlotte Rae Nicely, the executive director of Lehigh Community Services and others are hosting the event. Many of the organizations Team Lehigh are helping.

The name Lift Up Lehigh came about by both Nicely and Pamela Kaye, who was an assistant at the agency, but has since left.

The events will be held at Veterans Park at 55 Homestead Rd. and actual sponsors include Lehigh Acres Community Services, Lehigh Acres Community Initiative, Goodwill of Southwest Florida, Lehigh Acres Community Council, the Sheriff’s Youth Activities League, Victory Christian Center, St. Raphael Church, Lehigh Regional Medical Center (LRMC), United Way Partner agencies, Florida Government Utilities (FGUA), Presbyterian Homes and the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.

Nicely said there will be free food, games and music and activities planned for all ages, adult and children.

“And it’s all free,” she said.

Nicely said this week that in August, Lehigh Community Services served 1,097 clients, which is believed to be the largest ever seeking help from the agency.

Lehigh has one of the highest jobless rates in the county and many have lost their homes and the economy has not been kind to Lehigh.

Nicely announced that Lehigh Community Services will move soon into a newer and larger facility in order to serve its clients in Lehigh Acres.

With a government grant of $400,000 they have purchased a site in a building on Business Way that also houses a dental practice and will also eventually have a free medical clinic for everyone.

“We have to complete the build-out, which means the interior is not finished yet,” Nicely said. “Not only will it house Lehigh Community Services, but we are also the United Way House in Lehigh Acres.”

Nicely said she expected the agency would move into the building by October.

“We have a lot to do before we can make the move, but the new facility will double our size. It is a little more than 3,000 square feet. They have been located in a building on Wing’s Way, just off of Beth Tracey Blvd. for many years. The building is owned by the Community Health Association (CHA)which has rented the offices for a stipend over the years.

But with the storage of food and becoming the United Way house, the agency needed more room and through a grant, that has been made possible.

Nicely also noted that the U.S. Post Office in Lehigh and its letter carriers are conducting a food drive for Lehigh Community Services on Oct. 23. That is when local residents are asked to leave non perishable foods at their mailboxes. “This drive for food is just for Lehigh families,” she said.

The food the carriers collect will stay in Lehigh and see us through the holidays when there is a great demand for food for families who are having tough times,” she said. Other drives by carriers pick up food not only for Lehigh Community Services, but for the Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers, which supplies food all over the county for those who can’t afford to buy food.

There are also other good things happening at Lehigh Community Services. Nicely said they hold career classes that have been going on for a couple of months at the local agency.

“As a matter of fact, 54 people have found jobs and been hired and some are making more than $14 an hour. These classes are conducted twice a month on Wednesday mornings by two women. They are Agnes Kiely and Vivian Rodriguez from the Career & Service Center.

“I think this is quite newsworthy in our (present) economy,” she said.

For more information about the third annual Lift Up Lehigh, you can call Lehigh Initiative public information person, Andrea Adams at 477-1485 or Lehigh Community Services at 369-5818.