1. Meet Southwest Florida's next generation
of volunteers
Philanthropists under 40 give time, talent
John Osborne
11:42 AM, Nov 4, 2014
1:15 PM, Nov 4, 2014
When you talk to volunteers at local nonprofits, most are quick to tell you the work
never gets old. For the more seasoned among us, seemingly, neither do some of the
volunteers.
As is The Journal’s tradition each November, in this month’s cover story we train our
spotlight on 10 volunteers in Lee and Collier counties under age 40 who never seek out

2. the limelight themselves, preferring instead to turn the focus outward while quietly
shunning the often-unfair label of the “Me” generation. So quietly the silence is
practically deafening.
But, as you’ll soon read about, it’s not just the millennials taking the volunteer torch
from the able hands of the baby boomers these days. We’ve got our fair share of Gen-
Xers, too.
From Grace Place for Children and Families to Habitat for Humanity to the United Way
of Collier County, our featured volunteers chip in to lend a hand just about everywhere
it’s needed.
Now, they’d like nothing more than to inspire their fellow young people to do the same.
So kick back, relax and read all about it. Once you’re finished, maybe you’ll even want to
pick up the phone and volunteer yourself — no matter what your age.
Because in this era of the omnipresent “selfie,” these remarkable volunteers exemplify a
selfless lifestyle that should be the envy of us all, however seasoned we might be. And if
you’ll be under age 40 this time next year, who knows?
We might turn the spotlight on you in November 2015.
Noelle Matthews, 25
Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education and Experience Center
When she pulled up stakes and moved to East Naples from Chicago in December 2012,
Noelle Matthews didn’t waste a whole lot of time getting involved in her new
community. As a matter of fact, a visit to the Shy Wolf Sanctuary three days after she
arrived in Southwest Florida marked the beginning of her local volunteer work that
hasn’t let up since.

3. Boasting a marketing background with a concentration in public relations, the versatile
kayaking and hiking enthusiast is also training to become a guardian ad litem for foster
children. Then there’s her work (both paid and volunteer) for the Naples Equestrian
Challenge, which offers therapeutic horseback riding for adults and children with
disabilities.
And as if all that weren’t enough, a month from now she’ll publish her first novel — an
epic tale about citizens of a dystopian society who are trying to achieve greatness in an
unfamiliar world.
“In life, my ultimate goal is to put myself in a position to help the greatest number of
people and animals possible — to really make a difference.”
http://www.naplesnews.com/community/the-journal/meet-
southwest-floridas-next-generation-of-voluneers