"We like to solve problems."
When Nina Gray founded the Collier Resource Center in 2015, she had seen too many neighbors fall through the cracks between well-meaning agencies that didn't always talk to one another. Her answer wasn't another program — it was a person who would sit with you, understand the whole situation, and refuse to give up until it was solved.
That instinct became the CRC model: listen, assess, connect, and follow through. It's why we don't stop at a referral, and why there's no time limit on our help.
From a single idea to thousands helped
Under Nina's leadership, CRC grew from serving 60 neighbors in its first full year to more than 2,000 a year — touching over 8,000 lives in a decade. As she transitions from day-to-day leadership, Nina remains our Founder and Emerita Director, and her problem-solver's spirit is woven into every case we take.
We honor Nina not only for what she built, but for how she built it: with dignity for every neighbor who walks through our doors, and an unshakable belief that no one should have to navigate a crisis alone.
Learn more about our story, meet our board and advisory council, or read our neighbors' own words.