Fort Myers council highlights youth financial literacy, grief support, epilepsy and Veterans Day observances

The Fort Myers City Council opened its Nov. 3 meeting with a series of proclamations and community presentations.

Mahi Patel, a junior at Canterbury School, introduced "Words to Wealth," a student-led financial-literacy initiative featuring two interactive books and workshops for grades 4'6. Patel said the program has printed more than 500 copies and seeks partnerships with schools and community groups to expand reach. "Words to Wealth was created to bridge this gap between what students learn in school and what they actually need to know in life," she said (00:04:36).

Mayor Kevin Anderson proclaimed November 2025 as Children's Grief Awareness Month; Angela Melvin, founder and CEO of Valerie's House, accepted and thanked the city for early support, noting the organization provides peer support spaces for grieving children and families (00:10:04).

Russ Warshaw, community relations specialist for Epilepsy Alliance Florida, accepted a proclamation recognizing November as Epilepsy Awareness Month and discussed prevalence and the need for school supports and seizure first-aid education. Dr. Joseph Berheem of Florida Gulf Coast University accepted the Veterans Day proclamation on behalf of the university's veterans community and student-veteran representatives also addressed the council (00:18:52).

Council praised the presentations and extended formal recognition to the organizations receiving proclamations.