The Salvation Army Bonita-Estero

10/29/2026

This holiday season, let’s come together to care for our neighbors! ♥️

The holidays are a time for giving, sharing, and reminding one another that no one in our community is alone. Right now, our shelves need a little extra love, and every donation can make a meaningful difference for a local family.

We are collecting food, diapers and baby wipes, hygiene essentials, and clothing to help us continue serving our neighbors throughout the holiday season.

🥫 Fill a pantry shelf.
🧴 Provide an everyday essential.
👕 Help someone feel cared for.
❤️ Give hope to a neighbor in need.

Now, more than ever, is the time to give back. Whether you donate one item or a whole bag, every gift matters and helps us care for our community with dignity and compassion.

📍 Donations can be dropped off at the Bonita Springs Service Center, 26820 Old 41 Rd., Bonita Springs, FL 34135.

Together, we can make this season a little brighter for our neighbors. ❤️

10/28/2026

Behind every smile is a story, and today, we’re honored to share two stories that show the life-changing impact of dental assistance in our community. 🦷✨

Meet Alondra, an 8-year-old girl whose family needed help covering the cost of critical dental surgery, and Manuel, a hardworking local restaurant employee who was living with dental pain but couldn’t afford the treatment he needed.

Thanks to generous donors, dedicated community partners, and the support of The Salvation Army Bonita Springs Service Center, both Alondra and Manuel were able to access the dental care they needed. ❤️

Their stories are a beautiful reminder that access to dental care is about so much more than a healthy smile. It’s about restoring confidence, relieving pain, supporting families, and helping our neighbors build healthier futures.

10/21/2026

💗 We just had to share this sweet moment with you.

Yesterday evening, a dad and his young daughter visited our food pantry, just as they have many times before. But this visit was a little different.

She arrived carrying a bag filled with dresses and clothes she had outgrown, along with toys she no longer uses, and she wanted to donate them to us so another child could enjoy them. 🥹❤️

Each week when she visits, she usually gets to choose a little toy from our toy bin. This time, she wanted to be the one giving.

Our hearts were so touched by her kindness and generous spirit. What may seem like a simple bag of clothes and toys was so much more. It was a beautiful reminder that you are never too young to make a difference.

To this sweet young girl, thank you for reminding all of us that kindness grows when we pass it on. Your generosity will bring a smile to another child, just as others have brought smiles to you.

❤️ Little hands can make a big difference.

10/20/2026

🥑💚 Holy Guacamole! We have some amazing volunteers! 💚🥑

A HUGE thank-you to our wonderful volunteer Nick for sharing hundreds of fresh avocados from the tree at his own home with our food pantry! 🥑🌳

Nick doesn’t just generously give his time to help serve our neighbors in need; he goes above and beyond by sharing the fruits of his own backyard with our community!

We are so grateful for volunteers like Nick who remind us that kindness comes in all shapes and sizes… and sometimes, in hundreds of avocados! 😂🥑

Thank you, Nick, for your generosity, your servant’s heart, and for helping us spread a little extra goodness throughout our community. We’re so lucky to have you on our team!

10/19/2026

Sometimes a box of cereal, a gallon of shelf-stable milk, a granola bar, or meat for a family meal can mean so much more than we realize.

For a family walking through a difficult season, it can mean relief, dignity, nourishment, and hope.

Thanks to an incredibly generous $10,000 gift from The Bridge Fund, Bonita Springs FL, our food pantry will be able to provide more of these essential staples to neighbors who need them most.

The Bridge Fund has been such a faithful and compassionate friend to our agency, and words cannot fully express how thankful we are for their continued support. Our staff and volunteers have the privilege of seeing firsthand the difference food assistance makes in the lives of the families who walk through our doors.

We thank you for seeing the need, caring deeply, and helping us be there for our neighbors. Your generosity fills more than pantry shelves. It reminds people in difficult moments that their community cares about them. ❤️

10/14/2026

🌸💐 Happy Petal It Forward Day! 💐🌸

A special thank you to Heaven Scent Flowers for hosting Petal It Forward Day and spreading so much love and kindness throughout our community! What a beautiful reminder that a simple gesture can brighten someone’s day and create a ripple effect of kindness. ❤️

We were especially grateful when our wonderful volunteer, Candy, stopped by to surprise us with gorgeous flowers from Heaven Scent! 🌷 What a thoughtful way to make our day a little brighter!

We love the heart behind Petal It Forward Day — encouraging everyone to show love to themselves, share that love with others, and keep the kindness going by paying it forward. Sometimes, the smallest gestures make the biggest difference! 🥰

We also want to recognize Heaven Scent Flowers and their sister shop, For Heaven Shake Ice Cream Shop, for being such faithful supporters of our community and our Angel Tree program! 🎄❤️ Each year, they generously host Angel Tree tags at their locations, giving community members the opportunity to adopt children in need and help make Christmas a little brighter for local families.

Thank you, Heaven Scent, For Heaven Shakes, and Candy for being such wonderful examples of love in action! We are so grateful for community partners who continually find ways to spread joy, serve others, and make a difference.

10/01/2026

🍎❤️ A Year of Hope, Help, and Community Impact

As we close out Fiscal Year 2025-2026, we are filled with gratitude for everyone who helped make an incredible impact possible.

Because of the generosity of our donors, volunteers, community partners, churches, and supporters, The Salvation Army Bonita Springs Service Center was able to serve 3,262 neighbors in need throughout our community.

Together, we:
🏠 Helped families remain safely housed through rental assistance
🛒 Distributed more than 13,000 grocery orders to combat food insecurity
👶 Provided diapers and baby wipes to support young families
👕 Supplied clothing to individuals and families facing hardship
🎒 Equipped children with school supplies to start the school year with confidence
🚗 Provided transportation assistance to help people access critical services
🏥 Assisted with medical expenses for those facing health challenges
🎄 Brought joy to hundreds of children through our Angel Tree Program.

These numbers represent so much more than statistics. They represent families who found stability, children who felt supported, seniors who received needed assistance, and neighbors who were reminded that they are not alone.

Thank you for standing alongside us as we continue our mission of serving others with compassion, dignity, and hope. Together, we are strengthening our community and helping our neighbors build brighter futures.

❤️ Thank you for helping us Do the Most Good.

09/16/2026

❤️ A HUGE thank you to Lamb of God Church for joining us in our food pantry yesterday! ❤️

What a passionate, generous, and giving group! We were so grateful to have them spend their time serving alongside us and caring for our neighbors in need.

From bagging groceries to personally distributing food to our neighbors, they jumped right in and served with such kindness, joy, and compassion. Their willingness to help wherever they were needed made such a meaningful difference!

We are incredibly thankful for the heart they brought into our pantry. They truly were the hands and feet of Jesus, putting faith into action and showing our neighbors that they are seen, valued, and cared for. 🙏❤️

Lamb of God Church, thank you for serving with us and for helping us share HOPE in our community! We are so grateful for you! 🥰

Always a great day if it begins with serving others. The Salvation Army in Bonita Springs does great work and puts out lots of food every week. Although fear keeps a lot of folks indoors, those who received groceries were blessed and grateful!

09/02/2026

🏠 7 FAMILIES. 7 MOMENTS OF HOPE. ❤️

Throughout the month of August, we were honored to provide rental assistance to 7 local families who were facing incredibly difficult circumstances.

For some, an unexpected job loss made it impossible to keep up with their rent. Others were navigating serious health challenges, family crises, and unexpected hardships that made an already difficult month even harder.

When life takes an unexpected turn, sometimes a little help at the right moment can make all the difference. 💙

We are so grateful that, through the generosity of our community, we were able to stand beside these families and help provide a little stability, relief, and hope when they needed it most.

This is what community is about.
This is what compassion looks like.
And this is why we do what we do. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who makes it possible for us including the Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation to continue being there for our neighbors when they need us most.

Together, we are helping families stay in their homes and reminding them that they are not alone. 🏠💙

08/27/2026

Volunteer Spotlight: Grateful for the Minors ❤️

Some people volunteer their time. Others become woven into the heart of an organization. Bill and Cheri Minor are truly the latter. 🙏🏻

Week after week, they show up for our office and for the people we serve with a generosity of spirit that is difficult to put into words. On Monday mornings, Bill helps unload food from the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, Inc., making sure our pantry is ready to serve our community. On Tuesdays, Bill and Cheri team up to help distribute that food to our clients—offering not only nourishment, but kindness, dignity, and a warm smile.

And their service doesn’t stop there. 😊

Bill and Cheri are valued members of The Friends of The Salvation Army, our auxiliary fundraising group, helping champion the mission and strengthen the work happening throughout our community. Bill also serves on the Advisory Board for The Salvation Army of Lee, Hendry, & Glades Counties, giving his time, leadership, and wisdom to help us continue moving the mission forward.

Through their incredible community connections, they have also helped open doors to extraordinary partnerships. They connected us with the generous residents of Bonita National Golf & Country Club, who have supported our school supply drive and provided Christmas gifts through our Angel Tree program. Their church, Hope City Church also faithfully participates in Angel Tree, helping bring joy and hope to local children and families during the Christmas season. 🎁

It is truly incredible to think about just how much Bill and Cheri do—not because they seek recognition, but simply because they care. 🫶

They give their time. They give their talents. They make connections. They serve. They encourage. And, most importantly, they show up.

Bill and Cheri, thank you for being such an important part of The Salvation Army family. Your commitment, compassion, generosity, and unwavering support have made a lasting difference in our office, in our ministry, and in the lives of countless people in our community.

We are so incredibly grateful for you both.