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Dear Friends,
Thanksgiving is one of the most beautiful times of the year. Whether it means travel to a cherished family reunion or another attempt to replicate your great-grandma’s cranberry sauce recipe, we hope you’re able to enjoy the season with family and friends.
Please take a moment to check out the activities of some of our clients and the incredible work they do that best reflects the spirit of the season. You’ll find places to go and items to purchase that will make your holidays special and brighten the holidays of friends and neighbors in need.
All of us at Firefly feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with these impactful organizations – right in the community where we all live. We’re especially grateful for the faith and confidence our clients have placed in us to illuminate their work and produce glowing results for their efforts this past year.
Giving thanks,
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Stacy Weller Ranieri
Founder, President and Chief Illuminator
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For many, Thanksgiving means turkey with all the fixings, but for the thousands of people in our community who are food insecure, that traditional meal is unaffordable.
More than 300 families will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year because of the devoted staff and volunteers at House of Hope and the generosity of the community in contributing to their Turkey Drive.
It doesn’t stop with Thanksgiving though. House of Hope is also now collecting toys, nonperishable food items, turkeys, hams, gift cards, and cash donations to ensure the many families in our community who live at the economic edge will be able to celebrate a merry Christmas.
Each year we hold a toy drive within Firefly for House of Hope clients because we understand how hard it is for families to have to choose between paying the rent or providing gifts for their children.
We urge you to think of our neighbors in need and join us in donating to House of Hope this holiday season. It’s easy and it’s urgent. Click here to make a donation or stop in at any of the House of Hope locations in Stuart, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, and Indiantown.
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Imagine going into the holiday season without knowing how you’re going to afford diapers for your baby or find transportation to appointments for prenatal care.
The Martin County Healthy Start Coalition staff grapples with questions like these every day in support of women, babies and families in our community. The MOM Mobile is the latest addition to their family, and it is transforming the maternity landscape. Prenatal services are brought right to expectant mothers in vulnerable neighborhoods where transportation is an unsurmountable barrier to care.
All of us who love babies and want the best for them can play a vital role in giving them a healthy start in life. Donations to the Diaper Pantry at the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition on US 1 are always needed and welcomed. And donations to sustain the operations of the MOM Mobile are always in fashion.
A click here takes you to the website and easy ways to support the organization.
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Loneliness is one of the most difficult parts of aging for many seniors in our community. Living alone, they are likely to eat poorly, adding to the stress in their lives, and lack someone to check on them to be sure things are okay.
Meals on Wheels, sponsored by our Council on Aging Martin County, helps to counteract loneliness and its effects. Each day a volunteer brings a hot meal and a warm smile to more than 500 seniors in our community. The volunteer is an extra check on the Meals on Wheels client and able to make a referral to the Council on Aging staff for follow-up.
For those who aren’t homebound, Meals on Wheels delivers meals to senior dining sites in Jensen Beach, Indiantown and Hobe Sound, where a hot meal is only part of the service. Having the chance to socialize with other seniors and take part in activities are the brightest spot in the day for many men and women.
While a donation to the Meals on Wheels program is always in fashion, there’s also a fun way to make a difference – by attending the Council on Aging’s Poinsettia Power event on December 2 at Hutchinson Shores Resort. Buying a ticket to this luncheon, fashion show, and holiday shopping experience is a great way to support the Meals on Wheels program. It’s always a sell-out event so visit the Council on Aging website for more info or check out the press release here.
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Impact100 Martin kicked off its eighth year of phenomenal women’s philanthropy this November. The organization has already given $1.8 million to local nonprofits and has set a goal of 500 members for this upcoming year.
That level of membership would mean that Impact100 Martin could disburse five $100,000 impact grants in 2025 in its five focus areas: Education, Family, Health & Wellness, Arts & Culture, and Environment, Preservation & Recreation.
You’ll be amazed at the impact that a group of generous and determined women can have on a community. For more info and to become a member of Impact100 Martin, visit their website here.
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For those on your gift list that love the beauty of natural Florida, we’ve got the perfect gift – the 2025 Florida Ranches Calendar.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Florida Ranches Calendar, for which The Firefly Group is the proud publisher! ? Featuring the work of renowned environmental photographer Carlton Ward Jr. and his Wildpath Photography team, each month features stunning images of Florida’s landscapes and ranching life.
Don’t miss the chance to own this special Legacy Edition. Click here to order your copy.
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Each year One Martin and the Martin County Farm Bureau join forces to bring together urban and rural residents to celebrate the important relationship between farmers, consumers, and everyone in between who contributes to our community’s safe, abundant food supply.
This year we gathered, as is traditional, on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, to learn more about the current challenges to agriculture, still one of the driving economic forces in Martin County. While feasting on a delicious locally sourced lunch prepared by Chef Mark Muller, of Ellie’s Downtown and Dockside Catering, attendees listened to Dr. Kati Migliaccio, Chair of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Florida, explain how today’s farmer is just as likely to be monitoring irrigation systems on an electronic spreadsheet as driving a tractor.
It’s a whole new world in agriculture – a technological one. The Fireflies enjoy coordinating all aspects of this special event to help our neighbors better understand what it takes to feed our local community, the nation, and the world.
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If our rivers and waterways, natural lands, wildlife, and future generations could show their appreciation, they’d be sending a giant THANK YOU to the voters of Martin County. On Election Day, 63% of Martin County voters said YES to acquiring and preserving lands in Martin County and protecting the “Martin County Difference” now and for future generations.
Firefly had the honor of being the creative and strategic architect of the campaign, spearheading all facets of the advertising and outreach needed to educate voters about the importance of the sales tax referendum We are so grateful for the leadership of the Martin County Forever Committee and the confidence they placed in us. Their steadfast commitment to protecting the unique character and quality of life in Martin County and their generosity in raising funds to execute the campaign is now a legacy we can all look back on with pride and joy.
Read the press release on Firefly's website. and bookmark the Martin County Forever website to stay up-to-date on the progress we’ll be making as the sales tax funds begin rolling in.
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