Community Foundation of Sarasota County Awards More Than $1 Million for Hurricane Recovery

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded $1,050,046 through its Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund to 17 nonprofits that support individuals who have faced hardship in the wake of Hurricanes Ian, Debby, Helene, and Milton.

“Last year’s hurricane season left our community reeling—destroying homes, shuttering workplaces, and leaving a lasting impact on people’s mental health,” said Kirsten Russell, the Community Foundation’s vice president of community impact. “This new series of grants will provide a boost to nonprofits that are on the front lines helping people in our region recover as the community gears up for another potentially devastating hurricane season.”

Many of the grants will go toward providing mental health support services for hurricane survivors, while other money will be used for home repairs and other rebuilding assistance. The spending comes from the foundation’s Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund, which was created in partnership with The Patterson Foundation in 2022 as Hurricane Ian made landfall. In the years since, the fund has raised nearly $10 million for recovery efforts—with $2.2 million in gifts from The Patterson Foundation and a $500,000 matching gift from the Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation, among other major gifts.

A Focus on Mental Health and Long-Term Recovery

In addition to the damage Hurricanes Ian, Debby, Helene, and Milton wreaked on our community’s physical landscape, the storms also took a major toll on residents’ mental health. Several of the new grants awarded by the Community Foundation are aimed at supporting nonprofits that provide mental health services to people affected by the storms, including Resilient Retreat, Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast, NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties, SRQ Strong, and the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County.

Other grants will provide residents with disaster case management services through United Way of Charlotte County, United Policyholders, and Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice. Still others will go to help people repair their homes with the help of Habitat for Humanity, United Way of South Sarasota County, EPIC Community Center, Awaken Outreach Center, and Truly Valued. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte County, the New College Child Center, and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium each also received grants to either repair damaged infrastructure or maintain temporary spaces while repairs are underway.

The full list of grants includes:

• United Way of Charlotte County: to help survivors with case management services, recovery plans, and access to resources.
• Habitat for Humanity: to support critical home repairs for survivors.
• Resilient Retreat: for resiliency building and well-being recovery programs for survivors.
• United Way of South Sarasota County: to purchase construction materials for survivors who are rebuilding and other rebuilding support.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte County: to maintain a temporary relocation site while repairs are underway at clubs.
• EPIC Community Center: to help survivors rebuild and address ongoing needs.
• Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens: for a wellness program for survivors.
• Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast: for mental health support for survivors.
• NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties: for mental health support for survivors.
• SRQ Strong: for mental health support for survivors.
• United Policyholders: to support legal aid services and disaster case managers for survivors.
• Awaken Outreach Center: for appliances for families in need because of the storms.
• New College Child Center: to replace playground equipment damaged by Hurricane Milton.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: to support the aquarium’s floating classroom.
• Truly Valued: for home rebuilding and repairs in Newtown.
• Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice: for case management services and direct support for survivors.
• Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County: for mental health support for child care teachers affected by the storms.

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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 $544 million in nearly 1,600 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $56 million dollars 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 more than $500 million to area nonprofit organizations in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, call (941) 955-3000.