Volunteers

In 2012, Donna Mazzeo, her husband Michael and their daughter Michaela moved to Naples from upstate New York. Their family wouldn’t be complete without their sweet senior pup, Mia, whom they rescued from a high-kill shelter in Tennessee.

Since 2015, Donna has been a dedicated volunteer with the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF). Her passion for ensuring healthcare access for all—especially children—aligns perfectly with NCEF’s mission. Throughout her career in state government, she fought for these very causes, making her involvement with NCEF both meaningful and fulfilling.

She is continually inspired by the generosity of donors and the profound impact their contributions have on the children of Collier County. As a runner under the auction tent, she witnesses firsthand the joy and energy of benefactors and patrons. One of her most cherished moments was when a kind-hearted patron took the time to help her navigate the event’s 650+ attendees—an act that truly embodied the spirit of NCEF.

Beyond her work with NCEF, Donna has been delivering food for Meals on Wheels in Collier County for the past decade. She also dedicates her summers to volunteering at the Fulton County Regional SPCA in upstate New York and contributes her time to a local restored theater in her hometown.

Donna’s passions center around her family, advocating for those less fortunate and caring for animals. If she had a superpower, it would be the ability to provide universal healthcare and ensure no one ever goes hungry.

Looking ahead, Donna dreams of traveling throughout Europe and Asia.

Two of her favorite quotes are:

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.