Gallery

Cafe of Lifé Caring Sharing Serving

The Cafe of Lifé Gallery vividly captures the spirit and impact, bringing to life the daily outreach and the many programs that serve our community with compassion and purpose. From preparing and distributing hundreds of hot, nutritious meals to engaging in heartfelt conversations with those in need, each image reflects the unwavering dedication of our volunteers and team.

But the work goes far beyond meals. Cafe of Lifé provides critical support through outreach initiatives, financial assistance, and transformative women’s life skills programs that empower participants toward independence. Our scholarship program opens doors for local students to pursue higher education, helping them build brighter futures. We also offer a youth music program that inspires creativity and confidence, and sponsor summer camps that provide enriching experiences for children. In addition, we serve as a trusted resource for individuals and families navigating immigration questions.

Throughout the year, our calendar is filled with special events that meet essential needs with dignity and care. At our Back-to-School Backpack event, over 350 children receive backpacks, uniforms, socks, and school supplies to start the year with confidence. On Thanskgiving Day, we distribute more than 550 hot meals across multiple locations, ensuring no one goes without during the holiday. At Christmas, we bring joy to hundreds of children by providing meaningful gifts that brighten their season. These powerful moments reflect the heart of our mission: offering hope, dignity, and a sense of belonging. As our programs continue to grow, so does the need for compassionate individuals to join our efforts. We welcome you to volunteer — your time, talents, and heart can truly make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.

We invite you to explore the full story of our mission by viewing our photo gallery, as each image offers a powerful glimpse into the daily outreach, connections, and life-changing programs that define Cafe of Lifé.

2025 Gallery

Hope in a Backpack

Summer of Support

Meaningful connections

Seeds of Hope

Springing into Service

Acts of Love in Action

Lasting Impacts

2024 Gallery

Spirit of Giving

Heartfelt Service

Empowerment

Maria brings 20 years of technical expertise and educational innovation. As co-founder of a real estate investment LLC, she has led the LLC’s technology operations while managing financial systems, software programs, and end of year tax reports. She balances operational efficiency with sustainable growth.

Previously, Maria served as Technology Coordinator and Computer Technology Educator at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School, where she transformed the school’s digital infrastructure by completing the integration of smartboards, computers, iPads and network systems schoolwide. She implemented and taught a K–8 technology curriculum, introduced HTML & CSS coding, and launched an after-school Tech Club. She also launched creative learning initiatives – most notably an interactive video book report project—blending QR codes, media production, and literacy. Maria also managed the technology department’s annual budget in collaboration with the principal and school board, ensuring strategic investments in innovation and learning for the school.

Currently, Maria serves as Technology Coordinator at Café of Life, where she strategically built and implemented a Salesforce CRM system to streamline client services, optimize volunteer information, and enhance donor relations — empowering the organization with real-time data insights. She also built and launched a custom volunteer portal, accessible via iPad, allowing volunteer real-time logging of service hours and improving data accuracy for impact reporting. Maria has also taken the lead in designing and managing Google Ad Grant campaigns, to increase the organization’s visibility and reach online. In addition to her CRM and marketing work, she now serves as the nonprofit’s webmaster, strengthening Café of Life’s digital presence and community engagement across web platforms. These digital solutions are transforming how Café of Life operates, enabling the nonprofit to serve with greater efficiency —ultimately expanding its reach and deepening its impact in the lives of those in need.

Maria holds a Bachelor of Science degree in legal studies and a Master of Science degree in library science and information technology from the University at Buffalo, is certified in JavaScript Algorithms and Responsive Web Design. Maria is married and the proud mother of two daughters, now pursuing careers in marketing and finance. Both volunteered at Café of Life during high school, reflecting the family’s shared heart for service. Maria’s work continues to be driven by a lifelong commitment to innovation, service, and meaningful impact.

Marietta Bala has spent her life answering a single, powerful call: to bring hope where it’s needed most. A seasoned mental health professional with over forty years of experience, Marietta’s work has touched the lives across classrooms, clinics, and communities – from the heart of Chicago to villages across the world. Her journey began with a passion for understanding and uplifting people.

With a BA in Social Science/Community Dynamics from Earlham College and Master’s degree in Social Work, Public Health, Health Education, Gerontology, and Family Therapy, Marietta built a career rooted in compassion and action. She initiated a groundbreaking social work program for a large high school district, directed social services for a major outpatient clinic, and educated communities nationwide on mental health and chronic disease. Yet her vision was never limited by borders.

Driven by a deep belief that every life matters, Marietta has traveled to 141 countries, working alongside CARE International to evaluate humanitarian programs and standing before Congress to advocate for food security, maternal health, and an end to child trafficking. Whether conducting needs studies in Jakarta or singing in cathedrals in Florence and London with her church choir, Marietta’s life has been an anthem of service.

Outside of her service, Marietta’s passions are as vibrant as her spirit. She is a leader in mission trips, a teacher of caregiving and grief support, and a spiritual director with the Great Banquet Community. She believes that healing isn’t just a goal; it’s a way of living – one relationship, one conversation, one act of love at a time.

Her story with Cafe of Life, began in 2000. Looking for a way to put her lifetime of experience to work, she was introduced to Cafe of Life through her church’s mission team. What she found was a cause that spoke directly to her heart: a determined organization dedicated to feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and restoring dignity to the forgotten families of Bonita Springs.

Since 2003, Marietta has led as Chairperson of the Board, guiding Cafe of Life from its humble beginnings to a vital lifeline for thousands. Every meal served, every family clothed, every child given hope – each one is a testament to the belief that no one should be left behind, no one should be invisible because hunger doesn’t wait and poverty doesn’t pause.

Every life touched carries her fingerprint – and fingerprints of those who have joined her along the way. Marietta has seen firsthand that when a caring hand reaches out, it can lift a soul from despair to hope – and ignite change that echoes far beyond a single life.

Marietta invites you to become part of this living story. Join her. Stand with Cafe of Life. Help change a life – and in doing so, transform your own.