You CAN do it, Jessica DiGuardi!
Photo credit: Helen Werner Photography
What CAN you do with 1,000 cans of food? Raise awareness for the Harry Chapin Food Bank to alleviate hunger for Southwest Florida families.
The CAN-tastic Competition kickstarted the GL Homes Summer of Service initiative with a building competition to benefit the food bank in Naples.
At Harry Chapin Food Bank’s Collier Distribution Center, two GL Homes teams raced against the clock to CAN-struct miniature replicas of homes entirely out of canned goods.
Each team had two hours to design and assemble their structure using 500 cans of food as the primary building material. Judges evaluated homes based on creativity and originality, structural integrity and visual appeal. In the end, judges declared the blue team – which used an American flag as its front door and incorporated a working light – as the winner.
“We are in a community of great wealth, but we also are in a community that has great need,” said Sarah Alsofrom, vice president of community relations for GL Homes. “Hunger is a 24/7 issue for those who are in need, so our GL Homes volunteers are here to raise awareness for hunger-relief efforts in Southwest Florida.”
GL Homes, a Florida homebuilder with communities across Southwest Florida and beyond, donated 1,000 cans of food to Harry Chapin Food Bank, which immediately transported the items – cans of mixed vegetables, green beans and corn – to St. Matthew’s House, one of its agency partners. GL Homes also presented Harry Chapin Food Bank with a $10,000 check to support its mission of ending hunger in Southwest Florida.
“Nothing happens at the food bank without community support,” said Richard LeBer, president and CEO of Harry Chapin Food Bank. “Wonderful organizations like GL Homes are absolutely a key part of what we do. They make it possible through their volunteerism and their financial support for us to pursue our mission to take care of our neighbors.”
GL Homes’ philanthropic initiatives support more than 100 nonprofits across Florida, pinpointing organizations focused on breaking the cycle of homelessness, combating hunger, and supporting children and education. The CAN-tastic Competition was the third consecutive year the builder hosted a Summer of Service initiative in partnership with Harry Chapin Food Bank.
In 2024, GL Homes held a competition that resulted in 891 meal kits being packed over two hours. In 2023, groups of volunteers packed 3,084 pounds of fresh produce during a three-hour shift.
A huge thank you to the judges: Hillary Lemaster, St. Matthew’s House; Julia Flower, Florida Weekly; and Kevin Smith, WGCU who picked the CAN-tastic winner.
Receiving special recognition for their team spirit and leadership were Heather Wightman, named event MVP and Dianna Betancourt named influencer/top leader.
Harry Chapin Food Bank, the region’s largest hunger-relief organization and the only Feeding America partner food bank in Southwest Florida, serves 250,000 neighbors each month who are experiencing hunger through mobile food pantries, distribution centers and community events. It’s estimated that one in eight people in Southwest Florida – and one in six children – are food insecure.
Harry Chapin Food Bank, a Feeding America partner food bank, is the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida and serves 250,000 neighbors monthly through its Feeding Network of 175 agency partners. In 2024, the nonprofit distributed 39.5 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 32 million meals, at food banks and mobile pantries across Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. Harry Chapin Food Bank is an Agency Partner of United Way and a Blueprint Partner of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, rated as a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum-rated by Candid’s GuideStar. For more information, please visit HarryChapinFoodBank.org or call 239-334-7007
