Laurel Civic hosted their children’s Holiday Party, Breakfast in Paradise, on Sunday, December 18th at Paradise Grill in Nokomis. Laurel Civic has been doing holiday gift-giving parties for their students/children for nearly 30 years.

The children who participated in this year’s morning festivities were from Laurel Civics’ Homework Assistance Program which helps underprivileged children in kindergarten through twelfth grade who struggle academically, often because their parents are stressed economically.

“Marybeth Hansen of Paradise Grill provides one meal a week for our Homework Assistance Program for our kids, and has been a generous partner to us at Laurel Civic,” shares Joyce Mulcahy, Director of Development for Laurel Civic. “When our E.D. asked if we could do the Christmas party at their restaurant, making it more festive for the kids, she happily agreed. Paradise Grill doesn’t open till 11am, and so she scheduled us from 9am-11am.” Hansen of Paradise Grill and her staff served a sumptuous meal including a generous stack of mouthwatering pancakes to over 50 people.

The main goal of the Homework Assistance Program is to help students succeed academically by boosting their knowledge and confidence. “For children in grades K–12, our homework assistance program had a 99% on-time grade progression rate last year. This past year we acquired three 86” ActivPanel smartboards that promote hands-on learning and give our students a technological edge,” says Mulcahy. “We also have 3 hired part-time teachers that help bring additional structure to our program, as well as help mentor the dedicated volunteers that help our students. We instill in each child the belief that hard work, self-discipline, and drive may help them realize their objectives and goals. Every day after finishing their homework, the kids in our program are expected to read, and 99% of them improved their reading proficiency.”

In many of the children’s homes, consistent nutritious meals and snacks are lacking. All of the students in the program receive a nourishing lunch when they attend after school. “We recognize that we are in a unique position to provide our students with a nutritious meal and encourage them to also practice healthy eating habits. We presently have 82 pupils enrolled and are filled to capacity due to space constraints,” adds Mulcahy.

The merry-making morning included a special Santa delivery from the Nokomis Fire Dept. Each child received a few presents they asked for, plus a little extra in the spirit of the season. Alicia Williams, Director of Youth Programs, coordinated the breakfast event and greeted each child personally. “This is the month when love, peace, and happiness are shared the most. Here at Laurel Civic, we are genuinely grateful for all the love given to the Youth Department from our generous community of donors and the organizations that support us.”

First grader, Zayla, who just started the Homework Assistance Program met Santa for the first time through Laurel Civic. She ran to him with unabashed joy and later said, “He makes me so happy. He’s very welcome to eat our cookies at our home!” 

Pictured: The children who attended the holiday breakfast were filled with grateful excitement. Photo courtesy of Laurel Civic.

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Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board of Directors has announced a funding commitment of $1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties to rebuild the Gene Matthews Club in North Port that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. The Gene Matthews Club has been serving North Port and its surrounding communities since 1997. Prior to the storm, the Club provided over 450 children and teens with award-winning programs that empower them to get good grades, become leaders, practice healthy habits, and create plans for success after high school. “This significant investment from long-time partner, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, will help fund the reconstruction of the Gene Matthews Club in North Port which sustained irreparable damage from Hurricane Ian,” said Bill Sadlo, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. “With this new facility, we can transform the way in which our organization serves the growing North Port community, by providing access to critical resources and ensuring a greater impact through innovative programming designed to help youth discover their full potential.” 

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman is pleased to announce the agency's sixth annual holiday toy drive results. From December 1 through December 14, employees, local businesses, and citizens brought toys and gift cards to the agency’s headquarters to benefit children enrolled in the 12th Judicial Circuit’s Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) program and thier two new community partners Teen Court and All-Star Children’s Foundation. Gifts were selected for children ranging from newborn to 18 years old who reside in Sarasota, Manatee, or Desoto counties. The agency collected 2,468 gifts this year, including $12,055 in gift cards. On Thursday, Teen Court and All-Star Children’s Foundation sent representatives to gather the gifts needed for the children they serve. On Friday, sheriff’s office personnel made the official delivery to the GAL offices. Over the next several days, guardians will select individual gifts for children in their care. “It is always a highlight of the holiday season to collect and deliver thousands of gifts for deserving children in need,” said Sheriff Hoffman. “We are overwhelmed yearly by the generosity of our employees and the entire Sarasota community.” Significant contributions from US Health Advisors GP Region and Moss Construction supported this year’s initiative. Special thanks to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Public Safety Department and Sam’s Club Cattlemen for their support. 

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation recently approved grants for Hurricane Ian relief, including assistance to repair homes damaged by the storm and owned by low-income resident of DeSoto County and to support capacity-building efforts aimed at case management and financial support for clients of one of the region’s oldest community action agencies. Helping An Established Housing Provider in DeSoto County Repair Storm-Damaged Homes--Investment: A $50,000 grant to Arcadia-DeSoto County Habitat for Humanity to provide certified home repair services to residents impacted by Hurricane Ian. Since the hurricane struck, Habitat managers have been working to expand their existing Critical Home Repair (CHR) Program into a Disaster Recovery CHR Program to meet the increased needs DeSoto County, which saw an estimated 35% of its housing damaged by Ian. Helping A 50-year-old Agency Empowering Individuals and Families Boost Its Capacity for Aid--Investment: A $557,662 grant to Step Up Suncoast support capacity building efforts to assist with case management and financial support for clients. With the grant, StepUp plans to strategically expand staff capacity and modify existing job functions to meet the increased demand for its services. That effort will enable the agency to distribute available funds more efficiently, provide the wrap-around support its clients need, and strengthen families in the community. 

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Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) has now provided over 50 nonprofit organizations with transformational assistance post-Hurricane Ian, totaling over $2 million dollars. Over fifty grants have been awarded from Gulf Coast’s initiative thanks to generous donor’s contributions and Gulf Coast’s match to provide life-sustaining support after the devastating storm. “Our team has been diligently working around the clock to assist our region as it recovers from this monstrous storm. We are grateful to work with such inspirational and resilient nonprofit partners who utilize the initiative’s funding to provide opportunities for all. We have reached over 50 nonprofit organizations with funding and our commitment will be steadfast into the future,” said President|CEO Mark Pritchett of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Recent grants from Gulf Coast’s initiative include: Venice Theatre; Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and Desoto Counties, Inc.; When All Else Fails; Gulf Coast Partnership; Veterans Outreach; United Cajun Navy, and MEANS Database. The Atlanta Braves Foundation partnered with Gulf Coast to provide a $20,000 grant to Florida Center for Early Childhood to assist families at their Starfish Academy in North Port impacted by Hurricane Ian. Together with the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, Gulf Coast awarded a $25,000 grant to First Step of Sarasota to assist staff and clients in recovery, as well as a $25,000 grant to Premier Mobile Health Services to support clients in Lee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties impacted by Hurricane Ian. With continuing generosity from our community, additional support will be provided. The transformative Hurricane Ian recovery from Gulf Coast Community Foundation will be ongoing for many months to come. 

The Child Protection Center (CPC) has received a $100,000 matching opportunity from an anonymous donor. This matching opportunity comes at the perfect time, to match healing for child abuse victims this holiday season. The Child Protection Center continues to face the rising need for child abuse services across Sarasota County. In its recent fiscal year (July 2021- June 2022), CPC’s Therapy Programs provided 3,553 hours for child abuse victims. The Therapy Team has expanded its staffing by hiring more trauma-informed therapists to meet the increasing needs of treatment plans for child victims, their families, and adult survivors of child abuse. CPC’s Personal Safety and Community Awareness Team (PSCA) is highly requested in schools across the county for abuse prevention lessons. In 2022, PSCA reached 67,040 participants and conducted 234 sexual abuse prevention workshops. The population growth in North Port requires Prevention Educators to be in classrooms nearly full time in south county schools. Child abuse reports can be made to the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873. The Child Protection Center’s mission is the Prevention, Intervention, & Treatment of Child Abuse, as the organization envisions a community where children are safe from abuse and free to thrive. For over 40 years, CPC has been serving Sarasota and DeSoto Counties in the State of Florida, and is accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. For more information on CPC, visit www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277. 

Pictured: The Child Protection Center brings healing to child abuse victims.

Children First has received a $50,000 grant from Truist Foundation that will help build pathways to economic mobility for Children First families by providing access to resources through the re-design of the agency’s website. This is the largest gift Children First has ever received from the foundation. As the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, Children First serves hundreds of children and their families living at or below the Federal Poverty Level ($23,030 for a family of three) across North Port, Sarasota and Venice each year. For the re-design, Children First is partnering with Captivation Agency, an award-winning creative storytelling collective based in Sarasota with more than 20 years of industry experience. The creation of the new organizational web property will be designed to maximize the opportunity for future growth and expansion. “As the children and families we serve across Sarasota County are seeking self-sufficiency, having access to the resources they need to thrive is critical to their overall well-being and success,” says CEO Philip Tavill. “We are deeply appreciative to Truist Foundation for their support as it will allow us to serve every single stakeholder within the Children First community.”

“At Truist, our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities, which drives us to create meaningful change for families in Sarasota,” says Keith Johnson, Truist Senior Vice President & Wealth Advisor and Children First Board Director. “We are proud of Truist Foundation’s longstanding partnership with Children First because of the shared vision both organizations have for building pathways to economic mobility by helping ensure opportunity for all within our community, leading to a better quality of life for everyone.” 

Pictured: (L-R) Jessica Rogers, Mark Irwin, Keith Johnson, Philip Tavill and Fermin Miranda.

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Meet the region's 35 Under 35 Awards Honorees for the 2022 program produced by SRQ Magazine to recognize young professionals who are taking a leadership position at their company and in the community. Learn more about Brittany Lamont, President/CEO at Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance!

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BRITTANY LAMONT IS THE PRESIDENT/CEO OF THE LAKEWOOD RANCH BUSINESS ALLIANCE, a 600+ business organization focused on supporting businesses in the Manatee and Sarasota region. Before her current role, she spent over a decade at the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. Starting as an intern, she worked through various positions leading to the Vice President role focused on membership retention, engagement, events and communications. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Marketing and Management. Brittany is active member of the community serving as a Board Member for the Early Learning Coalition, Take Stock in Children Sarasota County, and the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation. She is a past Board Member of the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals, the Florida Public Relations Association, and American Advertising Federation. Brittany’s most rewarding role is being a mother to her three children – Payton, Harper and David. Her weekends are spent enjoying time with family and friends. 

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