If there is one thing Floridians have grown to accept when it comes to storms it’s to expect the unexpected. Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the United States in decades, wreaked havoc amongst so many Gulf Coast communities when it rolled in on September 28, 2022. It caused catastrophic damage to countless businesses and families and left several of our neighbors without food, shelter and income. However, one thing was made abundantly clear from the disaster: when the going gets tough, the tough community gets going! Over the past several months, many of our local nonprofit  organizations stepped up to lend a much-needed helping hand. We are honored to share some of their stories in our philanthropy edition over the next few weeks.

The following story was shared by our friends at Senior Friendship Center about members, Ruby and Willie Hodges. "When Hurricane Ian came, our home where we care for our 8 grandchildren, including our two newborn twins, was damaged. We had no insurance, but we are grateful for all the support that Senior Friendship Centers has done for us," shares Ruby. "They gave us tarps for roofs and referred us for food and clothing. Our grandchildren also got back-to-school backpacks. We didn’t even expect to celebrate the holidays, but they gave presents for the whole family and full Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners! We’re thankful for them helping us get through this." 

Pictured: Ruby Hodges. Photo courtesy of Senior Friendship Centers.

Each year, SRQ Media invites the community to nominate individuals with hearts of giving who have made a significant impact with local nonprofit organizations — from volunteers and board members to individual staff members and donors. This year, attendees were thrilled to be together as we recognized our annual Good Hero Philanthropic Award recipients at the SB2: Philanthropic Agenda Luncheon and Good Hero Philanthropic Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, March 7th at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. In the coming weeks, we are happy to feature each of the ten honorees in our Wednesday Philanthropic edition of SRQ Daily.

Today we are recognizing W.E. “Chip” Gaylor, a Venice native who demonstrates outstanding civic and charitable leadership across the area. He is a former board chair of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and continues to serve as external counsel for the 43-year-old philanthropic organization. Most recently, he is co-chairing the Community Foundation’s task force overseeing the distribution of more than $5 million of funds to help the region recover with resiliency from Hurricane Ian. Since founding his law firm in 1992, Chip has been committed to his community. Chip is a member of the Florida Bar Association and the Sarasota County Bar Association, where he served as President in 2017-2018, the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section of both bar associations, and of the Venice Estate Planning Council. Chip is also the recipient of the Sarasota Yacht Club's inaugural Anchor Award for Philanthropy where he created the club's employee scholarship fund, helping to establish its grant-making arm, SYC Cares. Congratulations, Chip. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) is thrilled to announce that its successful Feeding Hungry Families manuscript – authored in collaboration with All Faiths Food Bank – has been published in the upcoming special issue for Local Development and Society, a national, peer-reviewed journal. The manuscript will be featured in a special issue on place-based philanthropic institutions and community development.  The manuscript reviewed the successful collective impact initiative, Feeding Hungry Families created by Gulf Coast, its donors, and All Faiths Food Bank to feed hungry families in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. Launched in 2014, the initiative focused on collecting local data, increasing community awareness of the need, and launching the Campaign Against Summer Hunger (CASH). In its first year, our community raised more than $1.2 million and 766,253 pounds of food. Ten years later, more than $14 million has been raised since the program’s inception. Long-term, the Feeding Hungry Families Initiative has increased community capacity to distribute nutritious food and improved collaboration between All Faiths Food Bank and partner agencies. While Gulf Coast launched this national award-winning effort, it has now transitioned successfully to community ownership and management. Expanded community gardens, increased fresh produce at food pantries, improved refrigeration for meat and dairy products, and additional summer feeding sites for children have been sustained. The manuscript highlights the value of long-term, effective collaboration between Gulf Coast and All Faiths Food Bank. Gulf Coast and its donors continue to support All Faiths Food Bank with data and expertise, financial support, and empowerment to learn through experimentation and evolve to meet new needs. The two organizations have shown the value of a comprehensive approach to hunger relief. The Feeding Hungry Families manuscript is one example of the power of philanthropy to create lasting, positive, community-wide change. 

To read the publication, visit

Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) celebrated the women and men who have invested in its future by joining the SPARCC Legacy Society. The celebration reception, and the dedication of the Legacy Society Tribute Wall took place on April 27, 2023 from 6 to 7:30 PM at SPARCC’s Main Outreach Office. All SPARCC Legacy Society members have made a significant gift to the organization, either as a bequest or through a cash gift designated to go directly into the SPARCC Endowment during the donor’s lifetime, to insure that SPARCC will be there in perpetuity, to help survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children.In the 2021 - 2022 fiscal year, SPARCC provided free and confidential advocacy services and crisis counseling to 1,306 individuals; offered a safe shelter to 138 adults, 93 children and 20 pets; responded to more than 6,086 Helpline crisis calls; and provided legal services for injunction for protection to 260 individuals. In addition, over 1,500 individuals were reached through professional training and community education presentations, and 793 young people were served through prevention education presentations.

May 18, 2023, at 5p-8pm, Shapes Fitness for Women is honored to host the 6th Annual “Girls Night Out” to spotlight and benefit Mothers Helping Mothers (MHM). MHM supports families in need by fostering resiliency, self-sufficiency, and family stability. MHM is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that provides basic necessities such as clothing for entire families free of charge to families in Sarasota, Manatee, and surrounding counties. Mothers Helping Mothers serves over 4,000 families annually through their storefront, representing an average of 11,000 children in need. Gail McBain, Shapes Fitness for Women - Sarasota Owner/Operator explains, “I am so proud to host this Fitness and Philanthropy fundraiser for the 6th year. And with your generous support, we hope to double last year’s donation of over $8,000. Mothers Helping Mothers is a cause that really touches my heart. By joining us, you become part of a community committed to giving back and making a positive impact in our local community.”

“It is because of our generous donors and partners in our community that Mothers Helping Mothers can have the impact that we do for thousands of families. We are so grateful to Gail and the team at Shapes for continuing to support us,” remarks Cheri Devries, Executive Director Mothers Helping Mothers. “As we continue to expand our services, programs, and our square footage, we are just so very thankful for this giving community that helps bring our clients closer to stability.” If you wish to attend, please register in advance for a $35-$45 donation and receive a swag bag of donated goods, services, and swag. 

Click here to register.

CreArte Latino announces a new informational series called “Nuestra Comunidad” (Our Community). The program, which starts on May 17, features a series of monthly presentations and community dialogues concerning topics of interest to the local Latinx community. The program is facilitated by Claudia Lozano, a prize-winning poet and psychotherapist. “Nuestra Comunidad” was made possible by a $5,000 grant from the Gould Family Trust Foundation at Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is also a sponsor of the program. “Nuestra Comunidad” will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, at 7:30 p.m., from May through December. Admission is $5 per session. For more information, visit www.creartelatino.org or call 941-732-7191. 

The Patterson Foundation has given $100,000 to its longtime partner, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), in support of the CDP Tornado Recovery Fund. The funding will be used to strengthen communities nationwide recovering from a series of severe tornadoes, which continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans. The 2023 tornado season is already one of the most active seasons ever recorded, with each month exceeding the average for tornado activity. More than 400 tornadoes have been confirmed since January, killing approximately 70 people and damaging thousands of homes across several states. Many of the communities hit by these tornadoes are smaller, rural towns with gaps in resources or infrastructure, creating additional challenges in their recovery. The CDP Tornado Recovery Fund will focus on medium- and long-term recovery needs such as rebuilding homes and livelihoods, mental health services, and other challenges identified in partnership with affected communities as recovery efforts progress. CDP works to identify gaps in recovery funding to help direct financial and technical support where it is needed most. CDP is the only full-time national resource dedicated to helping donors maximize their impact by making more intentional giving decisions in response to domestic and international disasters. CDP’s expertise and tangible impact on communities worldwide have helped it evolve into a trusted resource for both major philanthropists and grassroots donors in over a decade of work. Additionally, CDP consults with foundations and corporations on disaster-related giving strategies that best align with their missions. Since 2013, The Patterson Foundation has given nearly $6.3 million to CDP for operations and recovery efforts in the aftermath of disasters around the world. To donate or learn more about CDP, please visit disasterphilanthropy.org. Visit thepattersonfoundation.org to learn more about The Patterson Foundation. 

To learn more click here.

Making An Impact, a community-focused nonprofit dedicated to making a positive change by empowering those in need with information on local resources, has received a generous grant of $3,825 from Doers of the Word, a faith-based giving circle. The funds will be used to reprint copies of the Spanish-translated 2023 Making An Impact Community Connections Resource Guides, which have been in high demand since their March release. For more information about Making An Impact or to view their online resource guides, visit www.Making-An-Impact.org.