Friendship at home, a volunteer-based program run by Senior Friendship Centers (SFC) started over 20 years ago in 1999. In its early days, it really just involved a friendly visit to a senior who was living alone, or a phone call of reassurance. “Once somebody stops driving, their world starts to get very, very small and so Friendship at Home was really about taking the socialization piece of what we do on our campuses and bringing it into the home,” shares Erin McLeod, CEO of Senior Friendship Centers. “It was basically a friendly outreach.”

After the downturn in the economy in 2008, SFC started to get calls from people who were not in a socialization crisis, which is really what Friendship at Home was meant to address, but in a financial and food crisis instead. Fast forward to today, after destructive hurricanes and a global pandemic, the program has grown into a community-wide effort to ensure the safety and well-being of seniors.

“During the pandemic, our meal program really ramped up. We went from serving 10,000 meals a month to just under 60,000,” McLeod says. “Now it's about 33,000 meals a month but it's still three times what we were doing before.” Part of the increase is due to additional federal funding but also, the sense of dignity and pride that might prevent someone from asking for help was removed during the pandemic, when everyone seemed to need help of some sort. Friendship at Home is now a three component program: a phone call, a friendly visit, and crisis intervention, where the program assists with rent, utility bills or an emergency food bag.

As we enter another hurricane season, SFC is urging the community to get involved to ensure that seniors have the necessary support and resources to stay safe. "Seniors were disproportionately affected by Hurricane Ian due to their limited mobility, isolation, and the challenges of evacuating,” says McCleod. “By just stepping forward and maybe making a call or two a week, just being a friendly voice on the other end of the phone, you can make such a difference in a senior’s life and it can be the thing that you can do from wherever you are.”

Thanks to a grant last year from Impact 100 SRQ who funded the expansion of the program, SFC was able to recruit more volunteers, make more matches, help more people, and connect more seniors to necessary resources. They are now able to serve more seniors and their goal over the next year or so is to serve a thousand more people with Friendship at Home and the support of the community.

In addition to the ongoing efforts of the Friendship at Home program, Senior Friendship Centers has organized a series of upcoming events to empower the community with knowledge, resources, and practical guidance in preparation for hurricane season. These events will take place at the Sarasota Campus at 1888 Brother Geenen Way, and the Venice Campus at 2350 Scenic Drive, Venice.

For more information about events, Friendship at Home program, or other services, or to become a volunteer, call (941) 955-2122 or visit www.friendshipcenters.org.

Pictured: A friendly visit can help to protect the vulnerable senior population. Photo courtesy of SFC.

On June 9, 2023, Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast was awarded $20,000 by the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. This grant will support mental health counseling for individuals and families affected by the impacts of Hurricane Ian. “We are grateful to receive this funding to continue helping our local community rebound from Hurricane Ian. Beyond emergency relief are long-lasting impacts that require a collaborative effort.” said Richard O. Howell, Executive Director of Samaritan Counseling. One example is when a counselor met with a family the week following the hurricane. Sessions centered on processing the trauma of the event, building a united response, and reducing reactive behaviors. Through counseling, the family has built resiliency and strength. Now totaling 30 counselors in 11 locations throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties, Samaritan Counseling is on track to provide a combined 17,000 hours to over 2,000 individuals in 2023. This generous investment will continue to instill hope and transform lives in our community. 

Embracing Our Differences received a $10,000 grant from The Exchange’s new Elizabeth Lindsay Arts in Education initiative during a grant ceremony on June 8. The $10,000 grant will provide funds for the organization’s free Make-A-Day of It! field trip program, which provides bus transportation and docent-led tours for thousands of students and teachers to visit EOD’s annual outdoor exhibits. Classes who visit the exhibits are also provided the opportunity to continue their experience at one of EOD’s community partners, including Florida Studio Theatre, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Mote Marine Laboratory, The Ringling, and Sarasota Art Museum. 

Pictured: Field Trip, Being Different Gives the World Color. Photo courtesy of EOD.

PLANit Sarasota, the local college access network (LCAN) for Sarasota County, is partnering with State College of Florida and nearby LCANs Complete Tampa Bay and Reach Manatee to help support “stop-outs” (students who have attended college but have not attained their degree and are no longer enrolled) and “summer melts” (students who graduated high school and were accepted to college but never enrolled). Building on the successful work of Complete Tampa Bay, this regional initiative will provide free individualized coaching for Sarasota County and Manatee County students who have encountered challenges that have led them to stop attending college or to not complete enrollment. This two-year pilot initiative will focus on students who have attended or who have been accepted to State College of Florida. A completion coach will identify and work with stop-out and summer-melt students to find ways for them to resume or to begin their studies and go on to earn a college degree. In addition to one-on-one coaching, this project creates the Student Assistance Fund to help students cover expenses that hinder their abilities to continue with their education. At the heart of this initiative is removing barriers so that more students across the region can achieve their dreams of completing postsecondary education. Upon the completion of the pilot, PLANit Sarasota hopes to expand this important work to include Ringling College of Art and Design, New College of Florida, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Suncoast Technical College, and Manatee Technical College. Three of our generous local philanthropic organizations have made this work possible: Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, and Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Their financial support will help ensure that more students who most need extra help can reach their full potential. A college degree or high-value certification can dramatically alter the trajectory of a student and that student’s family for generations to come. This exciting initiative aims to do just that. 

Manatee Community Foundation’s board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Veronica Thames as executive director. In her new role, Thames will lead the organization in creating and executing transformative initiatives built to have a positive and lasting impact in Manatee County and beyond. Thames comes to Manatee Community Foundation after serving as the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Gulf Coast Community Foundation, where she helped translate the Foundation’s vision and goals into action. Since 2018, Thames played a key role in the expansion of operations, including the opening of the Sarasota Philanthropy Center. As a woman who emigrated from Argentina in her college years, Thames saw her share of suffering and unaddressed human needs. It was then that she decided her professional life’s mission would be to help heal and create opportunities for all, as a way to return the favor for the blessings she was afforded in pursuit of the American dream. Prior to Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Thames served as vice president of human resources at Blake Medical Center Healthcare Corporation of America. She was responsible for key operations and personnel management for the 1,300-employee organization. Her accomplishments included creating the top-ranked childcare facility in Manatee County and developing the largest community health and wellness program within the HCA hospital system nationwide. Thames has extensive board and governance experience, currently serving on the board for the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School Parents Association. She is also the chair of the board at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital and was a longtime member and former chair of the Sarasota Manatee Healthcare Collaborative. Thames is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Manatee and was instrumental in securing the coveted Best Nonprofit to Work For nation-wide award for her organization several times. She enjoys spending time with her family, as well as home remodeling, kayaking, and big gatherings. Thames has lived and worked across the United States, from Boca Raton, Florida, to Los Angeles, before planting her roots in Manatee County. 

Art Center Sarasota received a $6,033.20 grant from the John and Tana Sandefur Foundation and the Gus Lobenwein Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The funds were used to purchase Donor Perfect, a leading donor management system used by many nonprofits across the country. Kinsey Robb, Art Center Sarasota’s executive director, explains that a donor management system is a critical tool for engaging with members and supporters in meaningful ways. 

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