Organizations join forces to feed community

Volunteers place fresh produce into the back of a truck at a food distribution on May 19. Several organizations from South Florida and the Keys joined forces for the event at Founders Park in Islamorada on May 19. Dozens of volunteers gathered to hand out produce boxes, gallons of milk and hot meals to the hundreds of cars that drove up. Teaming up were Feeding South Florida, Monroe County, Ocean Reef Community Foundation, United Way of Collier and the Keys and Mangrove Mike’s Endeavors. “We remain committed to helping in the community, the most basic needs like food. The most critical need there is, we are committed to helping,” said Leah Stockton, area president of United Way of Collier and the Keys. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.