Newman-Dailey is passionate about giving back to the local community. Through the passion of the staff and generosity of friends, family, homeowners, vendors, guests and clients, the team at Newman-Dailey Resort Properties united to raise $38,496 and 2,558 food items for the Harvest House of Destin to help fight hunger and help area families in need.
“We’re excited to partner with the Harvest House of Destin for our 2023 community service project,” said Newman-Dailey’s Founder and CEO Jeanne Dailey. “We’ve turned our support to the Harvest House this year due to the great need for food and support for local families. I served in the Rotary Club with Harvest House Board Member, Jason Belcher, and when we learned of the great need for food for at their pantry, our team knew we could make a positive impact.”
Harvest House is one of the longest operating non-profit organizations in the Destin area. Established in 1987 by Jerry Ogle with his wife, Claire, the Harvest House was founded to share food with the hungry, which helped the local fishing community get through the long, cold winter. Staying true to the vision, the Harvest House Food Pantry & Thrift Store has continued regular operations for more than 35 years. Today, they serve the needs of the working poor, especially the elderly and families who have been impacted by unexpected life changes. From baby formula and diapers to meals and toiletries to clothing at the Thrift Store, the Harvest House bridges the gap between a family’s fixed income and their actual needs.
Knowing that the Harvest House’s pantry shelves were sparse, team members from all Newman-Dailey divisions, including Vacation Rentals/Property Management, Real Estate Sales and Association Management, began reaching out to friends, family, homeowners, vendors and clients to fundraise and gather food items. The team also held internal food drives to gather much needed food items that could be immediately used in the food pantry. When the drive was complete, the team surprised Executive Director of Harvest House, Lori Joyner, by pulling up with the Newman-Dailey van packed with 2,558 food items on their wish list. In addition, they presented Lori with a big check for $38,496, which was the result of 163 online donations as well as Newman-Dailey’s corporate contribution.
“We were moved when we heard some of the stories of the families who have been helped by the Harvest House,” said Newman-Dailey Fundraising Team Leader Lisa Morgan. “We’re highly competitive and we love helping people—it’s the perfect recipe to drive success. Internally, we held bi-weekly competitions to see who could gather the most food items. Next thing you know, we had an entire office filled with food donations! We held similar competitions for our online fundraising drive and were thrilled to exceed our goal. Seeing Jason, Lori, and the Harvest House team’s reaction to the food and donations and being able to help Harvest House serve the needs of our community was so rewarding!”
