Our community went through a life-changing event with Hurricane Ian. Many of our family of Farmer Joe’s customers and staff still have a journey ahead of them to recover from everything. Our own store was damaged and we’re working hard to re-open and welcome you back to shop.
But, just because we’re not open for shopping does not mean we can’t keep serving the Cape Coral, Pine Island and North Fort Myers communities. Earlier, we were able to host a series of events to distribute food and supplies to our neighbors. Over 5,500 families were served by our staff and partner organizations.
Seeing the Solution
As Halloween approached, Farmer Joe’s owner Lee Snyder Sr saw another opportunity to serve our community. With everything that has gone on, he knew that kids needed to have fun. And feeling a sense of normalcy would be helpful. At the same time, storm damage was making the idea of trick-or-treating a scary proposition for some parents. Storm debris still littered the sidewalks in many places and would force people to walk in the street. Streetlights that haven’t been repaired or replaced kept many areas dark. To Lee Sr, the answer was clear: A Trunk of Treat, Farmer joe’s style.
So, with that vision, the Farm Joe’s team jumped into action with a short time to prepare. They emailed the customer’s signed up for our emails and used our social media to spread the word. The community responded.
The Event
To say the Farmer Joe’s Trunk or Treat was a success would be an understatement. Thousands of people from our community came out to just enjoy a night of fun. Entire families showed up in costumes. Even some pets got in on the action. The kids were able to enjoy being their favorite superhero or literary character…and get candy. Parents got to see their kids just be kids. Locally owned and operated food trucks were welcomed in to serve everyone in attendance. There was face painting for the kids. The Cape Coral Police Department supplied volunteers to help with fingerprinting for kids and other crime prevention materials.
We have to recognize our Farmer Joe’s staff. They came out and decorated their vehicles for the event, got into costume themselves and served these families. In many cases, they involved their own families in the event. That’s what a community does and we are proud of this community we get to be a part of.
The Effect
One parent stopped to tell us how thankful he was for this event. His neighborhood still has tons of debris and taking his kids out simply didn’t seem like a safe option. This event gave his children the opportunity to have fun. Then another parent stopped to tell us the same thing. And another. Many more had the same story.
The Future
We don’t have a date to reopen yet. Our Pine Island Road store suffered severe wind and water damage. But keep watching our Instagram and Facebook accounts, as well as here on our website. We can’t wait to announce our reopening and welcome you back to our store!