Merry and Bright

This holiday season, gifts are taking on a different shape for me: not objects to be unwrapped, but moments of joy and generosity I wish I could crystallize and keep forever perfectly intact in my memory. They are the images that come to mind when I think of how the brightness of the season can continue to light up the new year and beyond.

One such moment was the recent 2Gen graduation – a momentous recognition of parents earning certificates and degrees while their children and families celebrate their achievements. Each year, watching these extraordinary parents get recognized for their stunning hard work and dedication, the grit that led them to earn new credentials to better the well-being of their families, is a gift.

This year, 15 parents were honored at the graduation ceremony, all celebrating this achievement while their families looked on. The faces of their children as they watch their moms and dads receive diplomas and flowers at the ceremony remind me that, while 2Gen approaches interrupt intergenerational cycles of poverty, they also manifest intergenerational cycles of hope and promise, which may be the best gift any of us can give another.

Each of these parents fills me with a sense of pride for their accomplishments and optimism for the future of our community.

They achieve this in the face of increasing demand for housing combined with limited affordable options that have made it difficult for many to get their feet beneath them and position themselves for economic mobility. Parents completing programs that lead to high-demand, well-paying careers provide security for their families; more than that, they provide examples of determination and worth.

For these graduates, an enhanced future is in view, but many in our community are still struggling to make ends meet. More than 40 percent of families living in Sarasota County live at or below the ALICE threshold, an acronym meaning Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. For these families, although they are working, meeting the cost of living each month is often just out of reach.

It should come as no surprise, then, that in Sarasota County, a full third of our population is housing-cost burdened, a term that means they are paying more than 30 percent of their income on their housing (rent or mortgage), a burden that disproportionately affects renters, whose incomes have remained stagnant in the past quarter-century while rents have more than doubled.

This year, as we celebrate the 25^th anniversary of Season of Sharing, our community’s trusted social safety net, we are reminded of the many in our community who are just one missed paycheck away from the prospect of homelessness. This issue was compounded this year by a historic hurricane season with back-to-back storms that throttled our region and damaged or destroyed houses, many of which were mobile homes that cannot be rebuilt on their existing sites. Others may have kept their homes but been forced to miss work, especially those working in coastal communities, many of whom work in the tourism, retail and service industries.

All of this—existing challenges and heightened challenges brought about by storms—have led to an early start to Season of Sharing, along with an outpouring of support from major donors and caring individuals alike, leading to historic fundraising success for Season of Sharing. So far, just weeks into the “official” campaign, this community has raised $3.85 million for those who need and will receive help from fellow neighbors.

The resolve in our community—whether that takes the form of improving their family’s social mobility or ensuring their neighbors’ financial stability—is humbling and heartening. No paper, no bow, but it is the greatest gift of the season, one that emanates the brightest new year and future to follow.