As Marie Selby Botanical Gardens continues with Phase One of its Master Site Plan, the organization has officially announced a formal partnership with the nonprofits Easterseals Southwest Florida and Operation Eco Vets to plot, plant and cultivate the new edible gardens that will be integral to the operation of the incoming Sky Garden project. This announcement solidifies an existing informal partnership since 2018, which saw volunteers from Easterseals and EcoVets creating and maintaining a previous edible permaculture garden at Selby Gardens.

As one of the flashier parts of Selby Gardens’ Master Site Plan, the proposed Sky Garden has garnered a lot of attention. Simultaneously a visitors center, parking structure and retail space, the Sky Garden also seeks to be an innovator in green construction, complete with a stormwater management system, green walls and enough solar capabilities to generate more electricity than the multi-purpose facility will use. And on its roof, it will also feature the world’s first Net Positive Energy Restaurant, operated by Michael's on East. This restaurant will be fueled in turn by the fruits of these new permaculture gardens to be overseen by volunteers from Easterseals and EcoVets.

“It’s a win-win, all around,” says Tom Waters, president and CEO of Easterseals. “The partnership brings many valuable opportunities to not only contribute to a sustainable restaurant, but an opportunity for people, many with disabilities, to utilize their skills for the greater society.” And for veterans volunteering through Eco Vets, the experience will serve as horticultural therapy.

Of the two edible gardens to be created by these volunteers, one will be available at the restaurant level for visitors to view at their leisure and learn about the plants, while the other will be situated on the roof and be a “significant provider” of edible plant matter for the restaurant below. Both will follow the principles of permaculture, utilizing crops suited for local climes and resources and reducing waste. This will, in turn, affect the menu, infusing it with truly Southwest Florida flavors.

“It is our hope that the citizens and visitors are able to not only enjoy the delicious food that will be grown in a sustainable manner, but that we are able to educate them on the important aspects of edible gardening and permaculture so that they may, in turn, implement these practices in their everyday lives,” says Selby Gardens CEO Jennifer Rominiecki of the possible impact these gardens could have on visitors. “Permaculture is absolutely something that everyday residents can support in their own gardening practices.” 

Pictured: Volunteers from Eco Vets work in the edible garden currently at Selby Gardens. Photo courtesy of Selby Gardens.

The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation board has approved $1.8 Million in grant funding. Recent funding from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation strengthens organizational capacity to support the future of the community. Funds include:

A grant of $562,080 over three years to the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness to pilot the SOAR Team program to connect homeless individuals with available resources and assist those that might be eligible in obtaining social security supplemental income, disability and other benefits. 

A grant of $300,000 over two years to The Bay Park Conservancy to build capacity within the new organization and support fundraising efforts.

A grant of $235,698 over three years to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Foundation to provide start-up funding for a social worker to mentor families and connect them to non-medical supports.

A grant of $230,000 to Project 180 Sarasota for expenses related to acquiring and maintaining property for their Residential Program.

A grant of $200,000 to Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County to establish the Dr. Washington Clark Hill Endowment Fund to support the organization in perpetuity.

A grant up to $157,000 to the Sarasota County School District to fully execute and complete the High School Intensive Language Arts (ILA) Classroom project.

A grant of $75,000 to the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Foundation to support CareerEdge, a highly successful workforce developer program.

A grant of $56,435 to Gulf Coast Community Foundation to establish the Project Nature Bridge Project Fund to support environmental education for underserved youth.

A grant of $36,214 to the Sarasota County School District to purchase supplies to create Reading Recovery multisensory literacy kits to be used in kindergarten and first grade classrooms. 

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

The Exchange (formerly the Woman’s Exchange) has announced that it will award $250,000 to 20 regionally based arts and cultural organizations. The grant winners were selected for engaging the public with popular programs that promote diversity and civic engagement, while offering educational opportunities to area students. The groups are also chosen on the basis of their long-term stability and financial health. The money is raised entirely through The Exchange’s 15,000-square-foot consignment boutique in downtown Sarasota. Since 1962, The Exchange has awarded more than $8 million in grants to local non-profits and high school and college students pursuing a higher education in the arts.

Grant recipients for the 2018/2019 fiscal year include the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Art Center Sarasota, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Choral Artists of Sarasota, Florida Studio Theatre, FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, Jazz Club of Sarasota, JoMo Productions, Key Chorale, La Musica, Manatee Concert Band, Perlman Music Program, Players Centre for Performing Arts, Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Orchestra, Van Wezel Foundation and Venice Chorale.

In addition, nine high school students and 13 college students will also receive scholarships on the basis of their grades, artistic goals, accomplishments and letters of recommendation. 

The Exchange

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe has received a $15,000 Art Works award from the National Endowment for the Arts to help underwrite its 2020 production of Flyin’ West, as well as to defray the costs of community outreach activities related to the play. Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage, which will close the 2019-2020 season, is a show that WBTT previously offered as a staged reading. In the 1890s, the lives of a small group of African-American women change after they leave the oppressive South and settle in the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas. Their hope and determination to survive in a harsh region are tested as they build new lives for themselves and their families. Resident director Chuck Smith will return to Sarasota to direct this show, which runs June 3 - July 12, 2020. WBTT will take a three-pronged approach to the community outreach activities, including two free performances of Flyin’ West for students and their families, a free “WBTT Voices” community discussion about the play, and a hearing assisted performance either with captioning or ASL interpretation. 

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

All Faiths Food Bank has received a $9,000 grant from The Kates Foundation in support of the Mobile Pantry Program for veterans. The Veteran’s Pantry occurs every second and fourth Tuesday of the month and is part of the Food Bank’s larger Mobile Pantry Program, which distributes fresh produce, meats and groceries at 18 locations throughout the community. 

All Faiths Food Bank

The McCauley-Brown Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has awarded Embracing Our Differences a $2,000 grant for its 2019-2020 Unity Days program. The initiative engages Sarasota County high school students and staff in a day of team-building activities that inspire cooperation, communication and empathy. During the 2019-20 school year, EOD will provide Unity Days events to all seven Sarasota County public high schools. Through a series of activities facilitated by a trained professional, approximately 75 students at each school will be asked to participate. Prior to each event, a core group of student leaders will be identified and meet multiple times with the facilitator to receive training to help lead the event. The color orange will be worn as a visually compelling expression of solidarity and as a symbol of unity, sending the unified message to students that they are not alone. 

Embracing Our Differences

The Fine Arts Society of Sarasota recently awarded 13 local students with $46,300 in scholarships. The scholarship program is part of the Society’s mission to support and stimulate the arts in Sarasota County. Since 1969, the scholarship program has awarded nearly $1.1 million to students whose studies include visual and related arts, dance, writing, music, theater and architecture. All scholarship monies are generated through the Society’s activities. 

Fine Arts Society of Sarasota

The Sarasota Yacht Club has awarded Chip Gaylor the inaugural Anchor Award for Philanthropy. The award honors an individual or family member who has demonstrated outstanding civic and charitable leadership within the Club and whose generosity of time and talents has encouraged others within the Club to be involved.

Gaylor has been instrumental in many important initiatives at SYC. He created the Employee Scholarship Fund overseen by The Community Foundation of Sarasota County and provided a dollar-for-dollar match up to $25,000. He was an integral member of SYC Cares by providing seed funding of $11,300, which allowed SYC Cares to immediately award grants. Most recently at SYC Cares’ annual fundraiser, Gaylor announced that for every dollar raised to benefit SYC Cares Group Donor Advised Fund overseen by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, two dollars would be contributed to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium through the Donnelly Foundation. This resulted in a gift of $112,000 for Red Tide research. 

Sarasota Yacht Club