Norman Love Confections donates $36,074 to Better Together to benefit families impacted by Hurricane Ian

Norman Love Confections has donated $36,074 to Better Together to support the nonprofit in assisting families hardest hit by Hurricane Ian.

Following Hurricane Ian, Norman Love Confections created and sold 1,214 #SWFLStrong Florida Boxes online and in chocolate salons with 50% of every purchase going to Better Together, a Southwest Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to serving families and children.

“Our entire team at Norman Love Confections is so grateful to our customers for the overwhelming and generous response to our #SWFLStrong Florida Box and the chance to help our community following the devastation of Hurricane Ian,” said Norman Love, founder and CEO of Norman Love Confections. “So many families lost everything, and Better Together is literally going door-to-door in the hardest hit areas distributing food, water and other relief supplies directly to families. I was able to join them for a visit to a family in Harlem Heights where I witnessed their boots-on-the-ground support as they helped a family who lost so much due to the storm by giving them a new bed for their toddler, provided them food and essential household supplies, and even coordinated a dental appointment for the toddler. I consider this donation from the #SWFLStrong Florida Box a collective ‘holiday gift’ from our customers to the community and I’m truly grateful to everyone who supported us during this heartbreaking time for Southwest Florida.”

Better Together is made up of two programs – Better Families and Better Jobs – that help parents who are going through a hard time to keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. The nonprofit is providing a variety of resources to families in response to Hurricane Ian, including temporary child care for first responders and families who need a safe environment for their children, distributing food and supplies to families in need and connecting displaced job seekers with resources and employment opportunities.

“This gift from Norman Love Confections is going to help hundreds of families across Southwest Florida, many who have lost everything after Hurricane Ian,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “We are beyond grateful for the generosity of people across the nation who supported us through the #SWFLStrong Florida Box. This is going to help us accelerate the work that we’re doing to impact more lives in our community, especially during the holiday season when families really need our support.”

To learn more about Better Together and its mission, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.

About Norman Love Confections

Founded in 2001 by Norman and Mary Love, Norman Love Confections creates and distributes handcrafted artisanal chocolates from its corporate headquarters at 11380 Lindbergh Blvd. in Fort Myers, Florida. The award-winning Fort Myers-based chocolatier has been lauded more than a dozen times by a leading consumer ratings magazine, including recognition six times for producing the best ultra-premium chocolates in the nation. Forbes.com included Norman Love Confections BLACK line on its list of the nation’s top 10 truffles; The Huffington Post listed it among the six best U.S. destinations in its Chocolate Lover’s Travel Guide; and USA Today named Love as one of its top 10 entrepreneurs for 2014. Love was named the inaugural inductee of Dessert Professional Magazine’s Chocolatier Hall of Fame, partnered with local chefs to present a six-course meal at the James Beard House in New York and Norman Love Confections was ranked among the top 10 shops in the world for chocolate lovers by U.K. media outlet Daily Telegraph.

Norman Love Confections has Chocolate Salons in Fort Myers, Estero, Naples and Sarasota, including a pastry shop and café at Whole Foods Market in Fort Myers salon. Norman Love Confections’ chocolates, gift baskets, sipping chocolate and specialty items also can be ordered online at www.normanloveconfections.com. In addition, Norman Love Confections’ desserts are offered on 18 Princess Cruises’ ships through the “Chocolate Journeys” partnership and chocolates are available at independent retail locations throughout the U.S. For more information visit www.normanloveconfections.com or call 239-561-7215.

About Better Together

Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. A privately funded and professionally supported organization, Better Together is made up of volunteers who believe helping people help themselves is the best way to restore dignity and bring families together. Through the Better Families program, families are offered a preventive alternative to foster care while they get the help they need. To date, the program has kept 98% of children served out of foster care. The Better Jobs program was created to address the 76% of families that come to Better Together because of economic hardship tied to unemployment. In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners. For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.