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Making An Impact Partners with Manatee County Schools to Offer Spanish-Translated Resource Guides Contact Name: Victoria Kasdan Contact Email: administrator@Making-An-Impact.org Contact Phone Number: 9412515846 [LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL]. Making An Impact. Inc. (MAI), a local nonprofit and leading curator of community resource information for Sarasota and Manatee counties, recently partnered with The School District of Manatee County. Through this collaboration, printed copies of MAI’s Community Connections Resource Guide, a comprehensive directory of local resources, will now be available in Spanish and English to help families locate essential services so their children can focus on learning. The guide features over 300 listings of services and programs available in Sarasota and Manatee counties, including children’s programs, employment, food assistance, healthcare, housing, and more. By providing the guide in Spanish, MAI hopes to bridge the communication gap that may otherwise make it more difficult for Spanish-speaking families to find available helping resources. “We are thrilled to partner with Making An Impact and be one of the first to utilize their Spanish-translated Community Connections Resource Guide,” said Debra Estes, Director of ESOL, Migrant & Dual Language at the School District of Manatee County. “Our District is committed to promoting the academic success of all our children, regardless of their background, economic status, or language. The guide will help us better serve our Spanish-speaking families. It will make it easier for them to tap into the resources and services required to avoid distractions or disruptions to their children’s education.” “Like those at the district, we believe that every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed,” said Victoria Kasdan, Board Chair at Making An Impact. “ Socioeconomic factors can impact a child’s health and well-being and their ability to learn. By providing our guide in Spanish, we hope to break down language barriers and ensure families have the information they need so their children can focus on learning and achieve academic success.” MAI’s Community Connections Resource Guide is accessible to the general public online at Making-An-Impact.org where it can be viewed in any of 20 languages. Printed copies of the Spanish version of the Guide are currently limited to those produced for the Manatee County School District. Making An Impact is actively seeking sponsors and donations to enable additional production and broader distribution of the Spanish version of the Community Resource Guide as soon as possible. In just three years, Making An Impact’s Community Connections Resource Guide has more than 5000 copies in circulation, and thousands view the guide online. Their guide has quickly become one of the area's most trusted and widely used references for where to go to get help. In addition to Manatee School District, guide users include most of the areas social service nonprofits, law enforcement agencies, and faith-based institutions. For more information about Making An Impact, view their online resource guides, or support their mission, visit www.Making-An-Impact.org or contact them at info@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