Alethea Shapiro, 44, was one of the instrumental forces in bringing noise and attention to the those who needed a voice during Hurricane Ian. The most vulnerable and affected communities, like River Park, were able to get what they needed without leaving the doorstep of their devastation.

Shapiro, mom of four, said her experience in activism and politics helped her jump into action after Hurricane Ian wrecked her community. She and one of her daughters set up a GoFundMe after the storm and raised $35,000 in two weeks. Shapiro used the money to buy food, water, and supplies for people that couldn’t leave their homes.

“Because of my background and my activism work, I wanted to raise the money for the most like marginalized communities, like the Black and Brown communities,” Shapiro said. “And also, as a Hispanic person myself, I just felt like I wanted to help communities that I’m attached to.”

After years of activism and political work under other leaders, Shapiro said she was ready to tackle such a big relief project.

“I was made for this moment,” Shapiro said. “For the first time, I’m going to be the leader.”

So she got to work. Shapiro drove around Naples clearing the shelves at dollar stores and grocery stores to ensure locals could get what they needed.

“Everyone’s cars were totaled so they couldn’t even leave,” Shapiro said. “They were trapped there. No electricity, obviously. It was really dire.”

Shapiro said during her relief efforts, she encountered situations and sights she never could have imagined ― including a woman with flesh-eating bacteria on her leg.

More:Coming back after Ian: Naples’ famous Fifth Ave. South makes quick rebound to normalcy

The woman had lost her bicycle in the storm, which was her only means of transportation. Shapiro said the woman was concerned about paying for any medicine even if she could get to a doctor. So Shapiro stepped in and gave the woman money to be treated.

“We were able to get her a prepaid cell phone and she was able to get to the urgent care,” Shapiro said. “I was able to pay for the Uber for her and then I never heard from her. That’s where that story ended. So many stories are like that.”

Shapiro prioritized getting victims resources and help quickly, even if it meant she wouldn’t be able to follow up with them.

Eventually Shapiro took a trip to Pine Island where she was greeted with rows of leveled houses.

“I got an opportunity to talk to a lot of old people and ask, ‘Why didn’t you evacuate? Why didn’t you leave?’ And people were like, ‘This is our life. If our house washed away, we won’t have anything.’ They want to stay and protect the little mobile homes that they had and it was so devastating to hear that,” Shapiro said.

All the devastating sights and stories took a toll on Shapiro’s mental health, which she’s still working on improving today.

“I had to like reach deep to my soul, to run on fumes, to do what I did,” Shapiro said. “And I have nothing left now and so I’m just exhausted. It just feels hopeless and even driving to Fort Myers, I went there in March, I haven’t been back because it’s very traumatic to go back.”

Shapiro said she fears the affected communities will never fully recover.

“These communities that were already suffering will continue to suffer,” Shapiro said. “Once it’s out of the news, people don’t care anymore. It like kills me to know that these people live in houses that could get flooded again.”

Shapiro said Hurricane Ian opened her eyes to how badly certain communities in Naples suffer.

“It changed me because I see the holes in the system and I just don’t know the answer,” Shapiro said. “I don’t know how these people get out of these situations. In ways, it’s like the system is actually working as designed to keep people in these situations and it is impossible to get out of these situations. It’s just really eye opening and really just heartbreaking.”

Shapiro continues to monitor activism projects, but this year she’s taken more time for herself. After prioritizing others for so long, Shapiro learned to allow herself to engage in self care. This year she attended multiple Taylor Swift concerts, saying that being a fan helped her heal.

“Taylor has had such an impact on our country [and] around the world this summer because everything is so fragile and so devastating and sad,” Shapiro said “And she’s brought so much joy and happiness and inclusivity and positivity, which why I got so involved in going to her concerts. It’s giving me the happiness that I’ve been needing.”

Despite the challenges, Shapiro said she would lead another relief project in the future.

“I did thrive with the relief work,” Shapiro said. “But next time I’ll do things differently with my mental health. I learned a lot of lessons.”

Shapiro can be found on Instagram at @alethea_shapiro where she posts about activism and of course, Taylor Swift.

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Several hundred people are expected to take part in an annual fundraiser walk for the Collier County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness on Saturday, May 6.

A week out before the event in Baker Park near downtown Naples, 250 people had signed up so far and roughly $25,000 had been raised toward a $50,000 goal, Beth Hatch, chief executive officer of NAMI Collier, said.

Registration for the 21st annual Hope Shines Walk is at 8:30 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m. and wraps up at 11 a.m. with music and other activities at the park. Sign up at namicollier.org/events or call 239-260-7300.

NAMI Collier provides support to individuals and families in the community in a variety of programs and offers help navigating the complex system of care.  The affiliate was launched in 1987 and its budget this year is $2.4 million.

NAMI Collier operates support groups and provides direct services to children and families for mental health services and it serves as the referral agency for students through the Collier County School System and private child-care centers, Hatch said.

More:Rezoning for mental health center in Collier County approved; neighbors plan legal action

The physical and emotional toll from the pandemic and from Ian has doubled the number of people needing behavioral health services and crisis intervention, she said.

“Our numbers are staggering,” she said. “We have 450 active cases, families and children being navigated for (help). That has doubled from last year.”

More:Hundreds of patients impacted as crisis unit still closed three months after Ian

Annually NAMI screens 2,000 children aged three to five, and there’s been a 30% increase in kids aged 5 to 18 referred from the school district for mental health services. The local organization serves hundreds of people in the community each year: in the last 10 months it has helped 107 adults and 31 children with supportive housing.

This year’s walk on Saturday includes teams from organizations that are part of the Naples Children & Education Foundation’s Beautiful Minds network that includes the David Lawrence Center, NAMI, Golisano Children’s Hospital, Healthcare Network and Florida State University, she said.

Other teams are from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and civic organizations.

This year’s grand marshals are former Naples city councilman and magazine publisher Reg Buxton and his wife, Sandra Lee Buxton. Sandra Buxton is a Collier County Mosquito Control District commissioner and has served on the NAMI board, among other civic involvements.

Last year’s walk was held in January and it was bitter cold day with about 100 walkers and raised $12,000, Hatch said. The walk in 2021 was cancelled due to the pandemic.

To sign up for the walk, go to namicollier.org/events or call 239-260-7300.

NAMI is at a new location

NAMI has just completed moving to larger space at 5025 Castello Drive that enables all services to be under the same roof.

That will go a long way to making sure people get connected to the help they need, Hatch said.

The Sarah Ann Life Skills & Support Center is at the new location which provides social activities and daily lunch, outings and other support. The Sarah Ann program has 35 to 40 core members who participate on a regular basis.

Here’s a breakdown of key service areas:

• Screenings for children who are at risk of or who are already struggling with behavioral health problems and parenting classes and referrals for care. Known as “Health Under Guided Systems, or H.U.G.S. , the service receives funding from the Naples Children & Educational Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
• The local chapter has supportive housing specialists who help people overcome barriers for housing and avoid homelessness. The chapter also helps clients get jobs and other resources.
• Florida Self-Directed Care allows program participates to make their own healthcare choices and actively participate in their own recovery with help from life coaches who establish measurable goals.
• CLEAR, which stands for Clearing the Way for Change on Florida, which is a peer-run service for anyone in search of connecting with someone who has experience in mental health recovery.

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