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Contact information: Heather Kasten, CEO, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 941.556.4050 hkasten@sarasotachamber.com Steve Bourne, Interim CEO, Sarasota YMCA (941) 951-2916 sbourne@sarasotaymca.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LEADERSHIP SARASOTA CLASS OF 2019 VOLUNTEERS GIVE SARASOTA YMCA YOUTH SHELTER A “REFRESH” SARASOTA, Fla. (April 11, 2019) – The Sarasota YMCA Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Youth Shelter celebrated the unveiling of facility improvements made by Leadership Sarasota County Class of 2019 volunteers at 10:00am this morning. The 39 professionals participating in the leadership program dedicated their weekends, and secured donations, to make the Shelter’s outdoor play space more inviting and to update indoor common areas. A mural of a lion accompanying teens as they step into the unknown now greets the youth, invoking a sense of courage and new beginnings. The “refresh” includes additional outdoor seating areas, interactive chalk walls, fresh paint, a restored storage shed, and an enlarged kitchen pass-through window into the dining area. The goal of the Leadership Sarasota volunteer project was to promote well-being for all youth who stay at the Shelter. “Our class of diverse professionals worked together cleaning, painting, and securing donations. It was inspiring to watch everyone work as a team to make a positive difference that hopefully shows the youth, who are in crisis when they arrive here, that we care about them.” says Leah Cross, Leadership Sarasota County Class Project Chair. The Sarasota YMCA Youth Shelter provides temporary housing and safe care for youth ages 10 to 17 who have run away or are experiencing family conflict. They serve over 200 young people annually. The project was made possible by generous grants from Gulf Coast Community Foundation and The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce as well as in-kind donations from Brightview, Distinctive Surfaces, Gecko’s Grill & Pub, Heritage Pavers, ReSource, ServPro, Sourini Painting, The Westin, and White Cement Specialties. Leadership Sarasota County, a program of The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, offers an opportunity for those interested in the leadership and welfare of our community to go behind the scenes and see “how things work”. The class adopts a class project leaving a lasting impact in the community. ### About the Sarasota YMCA The Sarasota YMCA is committed to strengthening the community: through youth development by nurturing the potential of every child and teen, through healthy living by improving the community’s health and well-being, and through social responsibility by giving back and providing support to our neighbors. About the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that works to cultivate Sarasota's prosperity and quality of life through our member businesses, for more information please call (941) 955-8187 or visit us at www.sarasotachamber.com.