The funds will help local nonprofits increase programming and outreach and build internal fundraising and planning capacity.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded $445,000 in Community Impact grants to 28 nonprofits, boosting organizations doing critical work in a wide variety of fields. The funds will go toward programs that support families facing food insecurity, individuals struggling with mental health challenges and substance use disorders, people with conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson’s, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, students overcoming learning disabilities and more.

“These grants will bolster nonprofits doing vital work on behalf of many of the region’s most vulnerable individuals and families, from children and teens affected by addiction to young adults aging out of the foster care system,” says Kirsten Russell, the Community Foundation’s vice president of community impact. “The work of these organizations is particularly crucial at a time when need is rising and agencies are struggling to meet the increased demand for assistance.”

Of the 28 organizations awarded Community Impact grants, 10 also received Capacity Building grants. Those are intended to help nonprofits increase their fundraising ability and develop strategic plans, key steps as they work toward greater long-term sustainability.

Nonprofits receiving grants fall into a handful of categories:

Food Insecurity:

• All Faiths Food Bank: to support the Backpack Food Program, which provides healthy snacks for food-insecure children during weekends and holidays when school meals aren’t available
• FoodRecovery.org: to deliver surplus food from warehouses and events to families in need to strengthen food security and reduce food waste
• Mayors’ Feed the Hungry: to provide food assistance during the holiday season to families dealing with food insecurity
• Society of St. Vincent De Paul St. Maximilian Kolbe Conference: to provide nutritious meals for families and children in need in Charlotte County

Mental Health and Substance Abuse:

• Awaken Outreach: to support the Relaunching Lives program, which helps individuals facing food insecurity, mental health challenges and unemployment
• Bailes Consulting Services: to support peer specialists who work with parents in recovery to help them rebuild family stability, find employment and break cycles of trauma
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County: to provide mental health support to underserved youth, teens and families by giving 750 at-risk youth and teens access to licensed mental health professionals
• EqualSrq: to support peer intern trainees who work with individuals with substance use disorders at partner organizations that address challenges like homelessness and domestic violence
• Hand up to Victory: to support Foundations for Freedom and Restoration, which helps individuals reentering society after undergoing treatment for addiction rebuild their lives and restore family relationships
• JFCS of the Suncoast: to support Camp Mariposa, an overnight camp experience and addiction prevention program for young people affected by a family member’s substance use disorder
• The Salvation Army Sarasota County: to support Pathway of Hope, a long-term case management program that helps families identify and overcome root causes of poverty

Emergency Needs:

• Kim's Krew: to support the Emergency Stabilization Program, which delivers up to 30 days’ worth of food, hygiene products and other basic household supplies to families in a health crisis within a 24-hour window
• Pregnancy Solutions: to provide free prenatal medical services to pregnant at-risk women in Desoto County
• Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center: to support SPARCC's Emergency Shelter Program, which provides immediate safety and support for survivors escaping abuse
• Selah Freedom: to provide transportation to work, school and other appointments for survivors of sex trafficking, to increase access to therapy and to deliver clothing, groceries, medicine and other basic needs

Education and Career Development:

• Genesis Health Services: to train dental assistant students in the use of digital 3D X-ray applications and chair-side digital scanning techniques to improve their career prospects
• The Literacy Council of Sarasota: to support the 2Gen Literacy Program, which helps parents of children in Title I schools and the students themselves improve their English literacy skills as a family
• Lutheran Services Florida: to support the Healing, Hope & Healthcare Initiative, which trains refugees to become healthcare professionals and credentials them as Certified Nursing Assistants
• Minorities in Shark Sciences: to support the Sea Scholars science education program, which offers workshops with environmental professionals, immersive field trips and more
• Pines of Sarasota Foundation: to support Pines of Sarasota’s nursing education program, which provides free training for Personal Care Assistants and Certified Nursing Assistants

Special Needs:

• Ability to Include: to support literacy and kindergarten readiness programs for VPK students with special needs
• Epilepsy Services of Southwest Florida: to provide diagnostic testing for individuals with epilepsy or another seizure disorder
• Inclusion Revolution: to support the Integrated Jobs Program, which provides skills training and ongoing support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• JoshProvides Epilepsy Assistance Foundation: to provide transportation and cover other expenses related to diagnostic testing, make alert devices available to patients and offer virtual support group meetings to combat isolation
• Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson's: to provide free care advising, education and other programs for Sarasota County residents with Parkinson’s disease
• Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida: to help identify and evaluate children with hearing loss and provide assistive hearing devices

Housing:

• Everyday Blessings: to support the Springboard Program, which helps young adults aging out of the foster care system by providing housing, education and employment support, life skills training, access to health services and more
• Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation: to support the Resilient Roots loan program, which helps owners of historic homes in Newtown restore and maintain their residences

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About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $605 million in more than 1,600 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $49.5 million last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant $542 million to nonprofits in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families and businesses. For more information, visit cfsrasota.org or call 941-955-3000.