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Making An Impact Receives Multiple Grant Awards To Help Residents Find Basic Need Resources Contact Name: Victoria Kasdan Contact Email: administrator@Making-An-Impact.org Contact Phone Number: 6122204438 [LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL]. Making An Impact. Inc. (MAI), a local nonprofit and leading curator of basic needs community resource information in Sarasota and Manatee counties, recently received several grant awards supporting its Community Connections Resource Guide. The grants, totaling $10,858, support providing information on basic need services at public libraries serving Parrish, underserved residents in Newtown, and needy Manatee County families with school-aged children whose primary or preferred communication language is Spanish. The grants come from various sources, including the Conrad & Ruth Ann Szymanski Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation, the Dallas and Elizabeth Dort Charitable Legacy Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the New Genesis Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation, and The Parrish Foundation. These grantors were impressed by Making An Impact’s commitment to the community and its innovative approach to addressing the informational gap in finding local essential services. Making An Impact’s Co-founder and Board Chair, Victoria Kasdan, expressed her gratitude for the grants, stating, “Making An Impact is thrilled to receive these grant awards, to continue our important work and expand our reach. We look forward to working with our supporters and community partners to achieve our goal of facilitating equitable access to resources for improved outcomes and a positive impact on the community.” Now in its third year, the organization already has nearly 5000 printed basic needs Community Connections Resource Guides in circulation, and thousands view the information online. Last year, in response to Hurricane Ian, MAI created a printed and online Disaster Recovery Guide used by area residents, Emergency Management, and FEMA. For more information about Making An Impact or to view their online Guides, visit their website at www.Making-An-Impact.org ### About Making An Impact Making An Impact, Inc. is a local 501 (c)(3) nonprofit empowering residents in need with information on local services that can help. Our comprehensive Community Connections Resource Guide, now available in print and online, lists over 250 agencies providing essential need services in Sarasota and Manatee counties. With nearly 5000 printed copies in circulation and thousands of views online, our resource guide has quickly become one of the area's most trusted and widely used references for where to go to get help. Guide users and advocates include most of the areas social service nonprofits, law enforcement agencies, and faith-based institutions. The organization also released a new online and printed Disaster Recovery Resource Guide in Oct 2022. The organization was founded in April 2020 to address disparities that inhibit disadvantaged residents from finding and accessing essential resources in their community. For more information and to view the Making An Impact Community Connections Resource Guide online, visit www.Making-An-Impact.org