Caring community gets All Faiths Food Bank through hard times

As we approach the holiday season and the end of my first year as president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank, I feel deeply grateful to be part of such a compassionate and caring community.
To our board of directors, dedicated staff and volunteers, agency partners and generous donors − thank you. Your support has made an incredible impact on countless lives.
Together, we shared nearly 22 million pounds of food over the past year, helping our neighbors when they needed it most.
With some board members completing their terms and new leaders joining, I want to acknowledge the remarkable contributions of those departing.
Your guidance has been instrumental in establishing a foundation for our long-term success. Through difficult times − the COVID-19 pandemic, back-to-back hurricanes and an increasing need − you have shown an unwavering advocacy for the daily challenges and aspirations of our neighbors.
As we enter a new year, I look forward to continuing to foster a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
With gratitude and warm wishes for a peaceful holiday season,
Nelle S. Miller, president and CEO, All Faiths Food Bank, Sarasota
On Nov. 12, Dr. Bruce Gilley wrote an entertaining opinion piece excoriating longtime supporters and New College alumni Brian Cody, Mary Ruiz and Kathleen Coty for challenging current administration actions.
I, too, came under fire.
In September I wrote, “The school seems particularly enamored of Presidential Scholar Dr. Bruce Gilley … For some reason, Gilley and NCF found it appropriate to demean NCF professors’ achievements on the college’s webpage even before he arrived. Is that the model of ‘virtuous,’ ‘classical’ education that now represents higher education in Florida?”
Clearly that got under Gilley’s skin!
I didn’t refer to research metrics or Haverford College in my piece. I highlighted the lack of respect he had for the work of colleagues he didn’t yet know.
Gilley suggested that we wait to see what the student return on investment looks like at New College over time. With a current cost per student of approximately eight or nine times that of the University of Florida, I, too, am eager to see the outcome.
But for now, I worry that time spent defending the college from people with legitimate concerns would be better invested in focusing on student success.
Felice Schulaner, Sarasota
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