Greater Fort Myers Chamber Of Commerce: 30th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CAROL SING TO HELP COMMUNITY COOPERATIVE FEED THE HUNGRY

Press release from Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce:

2021-11-09

FORT MYERS, FLA., November 3, 2021  – Celebrate the holidays and help feed the hungry by singing at the 30th Annual Christmas Carol Sing sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships, First Presbyterian Church and Susan Bennett Marketing & Media.

The Christmas Carol Sing will be Tuesday, Dec. 7, at First Presbyterian Church, 2438 Second Street in downtown Fort Myers, between Lee Street and Royal Palm Avenue.  Admission is free, although organizers request voluntary donations of at least two cans of non-perishable food for The Soup Kitchen, operated by Community Cooperative, and a voluntary cash donation, if you can.

Because of the overwhelming popularity of the event, two sing-alongs are planned at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.  The doors will open 30 minutes prior to show time.

Community Cooperative is an innovative nonprofit organization made up of social service entrepreneurs fighting to end homelessness and hunger in our community. It provides more than 22,000 meals each month through its Community Cafés, Meals on Wheels programs and school programs, distributes more than 750,000 pounds of groceries through its Mobile Food Pantries, and serves 9,000 individuals and families with homeless and comprehensive case management services through its Social & Education Resource Centers.  A proud United Way partner, Community Cooperative serves Fort Myers and the greater Lee County area, including Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres and Fort Myers Beach.

The church has been a strong supporter of the agency from the beginning and continues to support its ministry there by providing volunteers and other support for Sam’s Community Café & Kitchen and the Meals on Wheels program.

The Christmas Carol Sing was founded by the late Sam Galloway, Jr., who made feeding the hungry part of his life’s work and was one of the founders of Community Cooperative.

“On this 30th anniversary of the Carol Sing that Sam founded, it seems only appropriate that we continue the tradition in his memory,” said First Presbyterian Pastor Dr. Paul deJong.

Cash donations are especially needed because Community Cooperative can buy five times as much food for the same amount of money that residents spend at local grocery stores.

The Christmas Carol Sing is a festival of holiday music and family fun.  This year’s 90-minute performance will feature the First Presbyterian Church Choir, soloists and other special guests singing favorite holiday carols with audience sing-a-longs.

There is a strong rumor that Santa Claus will be making a surprise visit for the “children in all of us.”

Tin addition to the Christmas Carol Sing, First Presbyterian Church also annually presents  Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing in February.  Both events benefit The Soup Kitchen of Community Cooperative.

In 2019, Community Cooperative received 2,800 pounds of canned goods and other non-perishable items from the Christmas Carol Sing.  The food was immediately distributed to those in need.

For more information, call First Presbyterian Church at (239) 334-2261 or visit www.fpcfortmyers.org.

About First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers

First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers, located at 2438 Second St. in downtown Fort Myers, is a community of faith, celebrating a loving God.  First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1901 and continues to be an integral part of Lee County by presenting some of the area’s most well-attended events, such as “Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing” in February as part of the Edison Festival of Light and the “Christmas Carol Sing” in December.  Both events benefit The Soup Kitchen of Community Cooperative, which was founded by First Presbyterian Church, along with other local churches, in 1984.  Services are offered Sundays at 11 a.m. with Sunday Adult Education from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  A nursery is available from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Hearing assistive equipment also is available.

This press release was produced by Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.