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St. Petersburg, Fla. – July 14, 2025 – Royal Neighbors of America®, one of the nation’s fastest growing fraternal life insurance organizations based in Rock Island, Ill.,* has named Joanne Braccio, founder and executive director of St. Petersburg nonprofit Love Thy Neighbor, as a 2025 recipient of its prestigious Nation of Neighbors℠ empowerment award. Braccio was honored with a $10,000 grant to support and expand her nonprofit’s services to vulnerable populations in the St. Petersburg community.

Braccio launched Love Thy Neighbor with a simple but powerful mission: to provide tangible assistance to people often overlooked—women escaping domestic violence, cancer patients undergoing treatment, and veterans facing hardship. What began as a donation drive in a local park has since evolved into a vital nonprofit offering a food pantry, thrift store, free cleaning services, and everyday essentials. The $10,000 grant will help strengthen support services for women fleeing domestic violence, ensuring access to food, clothing, hygiene items, and more. It will also bolster the organization’s food pantry and thrift store, which are core to its community impact.

“Love Thy Neighbor was built to meet people in their darkest moments and remind them they’re not alone,” said Braccio. “This grant helps us continue to show up—day after day—with support, zero judgment, and a lot of hope.”

In addition to her work with Love Thy Neighbor, Braccio has served as president of Royal Neighbors Chapter 20195 since 2019. She was nominated for the award by fellow chapter member Trisha Butts, who recognized Braccio’s tireless dedication to uplifting others.

“Joanne exemplifies what it means to serve with compassion and purpose,” said Zarifa Reynolds, President and CEO of Royal Neighbors of America. “As we celebrate our 130th anniversary this year, we are proud to honor changemakers like Joanne who are putting our mission—insuring lives, supporting women, and serving communities—into action. Joanne is a part of our ongoing legacy.”

Royal Neighbors’ Nation of Neighbors program recognizes leaders across the U.S. who are empowering women and girls through nonprofits, businesses, and grassroots efforts. Braccio’s story stood out for its hands-on, no-red-tape approach to meeting urgent needs.

“This award isn’t just for me—it’s for every woman who’s had to start over, every veteran who’s felt forgotten, every cancer patient too tired to clean their home,” Braccio said. “We can’t fix everything, but we can be there for someone in the moment they need it most.”

More About Royal Neighbors of America

In 1895, nine founding women created a membership community. They were one of the first to make life insurance accessible to women. Now, 130 years later, Royal Neighbors remains committed to its mission of Insuring Lives, Supporting Women, and Serving Communities℠. The organization’s 280,000+ members, chapters, employees, and appointed agents across the country drive the mission through localized volunteerism and philanthropy programs making social impact the cornerstone of their work.

Royal Neighbors members experience Insurance with a Difference℠ through their tailored life insurance and annuity products, opportunities to make an impact in their communities, savings on prescriptions, health screenings, grief support, and more.

In 2020, Royal Neighbors was upgraded to “A Excellent” (3rd highest out of 13) by the AM Best Company for overall financial strength and ability to meet ongoing obligations to certificateholders. The rating was affirmed in December 2024. In 2024, Royal Neighbors delivered $43.85 million in Social Good impact and record revenue. In 2024, Royal Neighbors received its eighth Great Place to Work® certification and was rated as a 2025 Best Insurance Company by Forbes.

For more information about Royal Neighbors of America, go to royalneighbors.org. To read inspiring member stories, visit theroyalneighbor.org.

* American National’s Exit, Benefit Ratio Shifts, Avoidable Mortality & PRT Rulings. Life Annuity Specialist News Brief; April 3, 2025