Harry Chapin Food Bank's Matinee with a Mission

FORT MYERS, Fla. - March 31, 2025 - PRLog -- Nearly 80 hunger-relief advocates from across Southwest Florida enjoyed an exclusive pre-screening of an upcoming documentary exploring the generational impact of Harry Chapin's Grammy Hall of Fame song, Cat's in the Cradle.

In partnership with Harry Chapin Food Bank, producers behind "Cat's in the Cradle: The Song that Changed Our Lives" showed the film to a captive audience on March 22 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Naples. It was the first time the film had been screened in front of an audience.

The film's executive producer, Jason Chapin, is Harry Chapin's son and traveled to Naples for the pre-screening, which was followed by a panel discussion of the film and the growing hunger crisis in Southwest Florida. Richard LeBer, the Food Bank's president and CEO, and Carolyn "CAT" Tieger, vice chair of the Food Bank's board, also participated in the discussion.

Harry Chapin Food Bank started as the Lee County Food Cooperative in 1983 and became the Southwest Florida Food Bank two years later. The nonprofit's name changed to Harry Chapin Food Bank in 1994 as a way to continue the late musician's legacy of inspiring communities to address hunger. In Southwest Florida, one in eight people – including one in six children – are considered food insecure.

"Harry's quote, of course, was 'When in doubt, do something,'" LeBer said. "Another quote I like is Teddy Roosevelt, who said, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,' and that's what we're doing every day. And if you keep doing that, if you keep focusing on something that you really care about, it's amazing the impact that you can have."

About Harry Chapin Food Bank

Harry Chapin Food Bank, a Feeding America partner food bank, is the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida and serves 250,000 neighbors monthly through its Feeding Network of 175 agency partners. In 2024, the nonprofit distributed 39.5 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 32 million meals, at food banks and mobile pantries across Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. The Food Bank is privately funded and receives support from individuals, businesses, foundations, grocery stores and food distributors. Harry Chapin Food Bank is an Agency Partner of United Way and a Blueprint Partner of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, rated as a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum-rated by Candid's GuideStar. For more information, please visit HarryChapinFoodBank.org or call 239-334-7007.