The Jordan Ashley Gutheim Foundation honors Fort Myers graduate
Nine years after a horrific tragedy, Jordan’s Blessings continues to honor Jordan Ashley Gutheim’s life and spirit.
This month, the Jordan Ashley Gutheim Foundation announces its ninth annual Jordan’s Blessings totaling $123,000.
On May 12, 2016, two young lives were cut short on their way to a picnic at a state park. On a clear sunny day, a commercial truck violently struck their car from behind and forced them into oncoming traffic. Gutheim, a 20-year-old Evangelical Christian School graduate and a junior at Florida State University, and her boyfriend, Benji Piechoczek, a sophomore at University of Central Florida, were declared dead at the scene.
Arising out of the shock and horror that truly never goes away, her family established the Jordan Ashley Gutheim Foundation to spread “Jordan’s Blessings.” Over the past nine years, every May, the foundation has donated to a variety of area nonprofits to honor Gutheim’s legacy. Over the past eight years, the foundation issued grants totaling $592,561.
Gutheim was known for her kind and loving spirit, her joyful personality and her willingness to go out of her way to help others. She was passionate about animal safety, family, the elderly, children, and serving the needy in impoverished countries. The fund supports efforts including no-kill animal shelters, elderly health and well-being, humanitarian mission trips, driver safety, family services and an annual four-year scholarship to Florida State University.
The 2025 recipients include: Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida (CAC) to help fund the Child Protection program. The advocacy center provides abuse determination, therapeutic counseling, parenting education and prevention programs to children and families in Lee, Hendry, Glades and Charlotte counties.
A.N.A.’s Friends for their Children’s Needs Program, which serves abused neglected and abandoned children in Southwest Florida.
The Cape Coral Animal Shelter received a five-year grant totaling $30,000 to help expand its facilities. The adoption corridor will be named after Gutheim.
The Boys and Girls Club of Lee County received a three-year grant totaling $50,000 to help in the construction of the newest facility in Pine Manor (Park Meadows). The sports field will be named after Gutheim.
The Heights Foundation received a 3-year grant totaling $25,000 for the new The Heights CareerTech Institute. The reception area will honor Gutheim.
In addition to the above mentioned blessings, congratulations to Abigail Kohler who was selected for the ninth annual Jordan Ashley Gutheim four-year FSU scholarship.
Gutheim attended Evangelical Christian School from preschool through high school and loved the school. Her love of the school extended to its teachers, students, athletics (she played both varsity soccer and track) and student government.
Jordan’s Blessings is in the middle of its second multi-year grant to the Lee County Sheriff’s Youth Activities League for the Teen Driver Challenge class. Seniors at ECS can take the class and learn how to keep safe on the roads. The Jordan Ashley Gutheim Foundation donated this blessing in loving memory of three of her classmates Jordan Sadler, Jon Valentin and Joe Marcelek who died in a car crash in June 2014.
The foundation has supported a variety of non-profits over the years including: MADD, Lee County Sheriff’s Youth Activities League Teen Drivers Challenge, Dr. Piper Center for Social Services grandparents program, Community Cooperative (soup kitchen), Valerie’s House, While We’re Waiting (Christian-based organization for bereaved parents), the Gulf Coast Humane Society, the Cape Coral Animal Shelter, The Dubin Center, an annual FSU scholarship, three mission trips, food to frontline workers during COVID, Pace Center for Girls, Our Mother’s Home, Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida, the Boys and Girls Club of Lee County, A.N.A.’s Friends, Clinic For The Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties, and Hurricane Ian relief efforts.
The Gutheim family is grateful to everyone who has donated to help keep Jordan Gutheim’s memory alive and support all that she loved. The fund is available for anyone who would like to contribute by visiting http://bit.ly/
ABOUT COLLABORATORY
Collaboratory is a regional community foundation with an evolved mission committed to coordinating the solving of Southwest Florida’s major social problems by 2040. Not alone, but with everyone—the entire community working together across all five counties: Lee, Hendry, Glades, Charlotte and Collier. Collaboratory provides community leadership, raises and coordinates funding, and disburses funds to organizations that are helping solve the problems our donors and the community have identified as priorities. Collaboratory also provides capacity building with training and resources for regional partners. Given the complexities of the social challenges in our region, Collaboratory ensures we are all working together and that every generous donor achieves the biggest impact with their funds. By using and sharing data to track progress, we ensure that donor dollars are best invested to move the needle on improving social issues. Connection and collaboration are at the heart of our mission. Since 1976, we have made over $130 million in grants to individuals and organizations across the region to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. It is upon that legacy of a commitment to community we will collectively achieve our 2040 goal. To learn more and get involved, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.collaboratory.org.
