I send my heartfelt thoughts to everyone affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The overwhelming anxiety and uncertainty that comes with such devastating back-to-back storms can be hard to process fully. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation Board, team, and I stand with you as we begin the road to recovery. 

It is heartwarming to see our community come together as a region to support each other through the revitalization process. We are a resilient and strong community. By sharing resources, keeping our spirits high, and supporting our neighbors, we will unify and recover.

Gulf Coast proactively prepares for disasters like Hurricanes Milton and Helene so we can respond rapidly to our communities’ immediate needs. Our Rapid Response Fund was activated after Hurricane Helene ravaged the barrier islands, leaving many food and beverage workers without employment. Gulf Coast partnered with the Southern Smoke Foundation to provide financial assistance to these workers, allowing them time to secure new positions or for their places of employment to reopen. As Milton approached our coastline, the Gulf Coast Board of Directors called an emergency meeting to authorize additional funding to provide life-sustaining support to those whose lives and homes would become upended by Milton. 

Our team is working with local organizations to gather boots-on-the-ground intelligence, which informs the rapid deployment of these funds to the areas of greatest need. Our funding model allows our team the flexibility necessary to respond to each disaster's unique circumstances.

In the week following Hurricane Milton, Gulf Coast has deployed over $500,000 to local nonprofits that are in the trenches with those impacted, tarping roofs, chopping downed trees, distributing food and water, and securing temporary shelter. We’ve also funded mental health services and emergency service navigators to assist residents in applying for disaster aid, which can often be a time-consuming and complicated process. 

Collaboration is often the key to success when communities tackle significant challenges. We learned of an inspiring collaboration between two nonprofit partners, Second Heart Homes and Project 180. Second Heart Homes provides housing with supportive services for unhoused individuals experiencing mental illness, and Project 180 supports formally incarcerated men in re-entering society successfully through recovery support, assistance with food, clothing and transportation, introductions to Second Chance employers, leadership training, volunteer opportunities, and a new, law-abiding social network. 

When Project 180 learned about the damage at several Second Heart Homes properties, they arrived with the tools and manpower needed to remove fallen trees, clear debris, and make the properties safe for the residents to return. This wasn’t required or even asked of them — they saw a need and had the skills necessary to help. To me, this embodies the true spirit of community and highlights what makes our community such a remarkable place to call home. Friends and neighbors rally together regardless of individual circumstances. 

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our rapid response efforts. Our work would not be possible without your incredible support. 

The immense generosity we’ve witnessed is truly inspiring. The strength of neighbors coming together in the wake of disaster is undeniable. Never underestimate the power of community. 

Phillip P. Lanham is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.  

Image courtesy Gulf Coast Community Foundation

It’s amazing how even when government operates in the sunshine, certain items can fly under the radar, such as what happened with federal funding from Hurricane Ian.

If you remember back to September 2022 when Hurricane Ian hit our beautiful community, it was a South County event. North Port was hit with horrific flooding. As with all disasters, the Federal, State and Local Government worked together to bring resources to the area to mitigate damage and help rebuild.  Sarasota County was awarded $201.5 million and divided the money into different areas.

An allocation of $15 million to Workforce Development and Training was an interesting addition by Commissioner Mike Moran.  It caused you to scratch your head because two years after the storm, you would expect those displaced had gone back to work in their previous position or in a new job.

Fast forward and suddenly we understand Commissioner Moran’s motivation.  The same Commissioner Moran who runs the PACE program and spent wildly on perks for himself and his cronies, including Jon Mast, Executive Director of the Suncoast Builders Association.  The Herald-Tribune reported on these exploits. Mast serves on the PACE Program board and Moran’s PACE office is located at the Suncoast Builders Association offices.  This cozy relationship is most likely where the idea to have money for workforce training included in hurricane recovery was hatched.

For a while, the Suncoast Builders wanted Sarasota County and the School Board to gift them Florida House to utilize for office space.  When that plan was thwarted, the Suncoast Builders formed a charitable arm so they qualified to submit for these County funds. 

When the proposals for using $15 million in workforce dollars came before County Commissioners, there were three submissions.  The submission ranked #1 was barely discussed and didn’t stand a chance.  The #2 submission was from the Sarasota County School Board for $7.5 million to support ongoing training at the Technical College. The proposal ranked #3 out of 3 was from the Building Industry Institute, a.k.a. Suncoast Builders Association, for $13.1 million.  Right out of the gate, Commissioners Moran and Neil Rainford wanted to award the builders their full request. Fortunately, the School Board was awarded its requested $7.5 million and the Home Builders received the remaining $7.5 million (in a 3 -2 vote with Commissioners Joe Neunder and Ron Cutsinger doing the right thing by saying NO).  Now hurricane relief money is going to build the Home Builders new offices in Sarasota and give its Executive Director a $200,000 salary. Somewhere in there, they propose some training for members’ businesses at taxpayer expense.

The School District only submitted for $7.5 million after being told funds needed to be shared with other entities.  The project to expand the North Port Technical College to help with workforce training is approximately $21 million, so the District certainly can put the entire $15 million to good use quickly.

Sarasota County Commissioners will meet on Oct. 22 and 23, when the Suncoast Builders will ask the county to “hold” the $7.5 million until February 2026 to give them a chance to raise additional funds.  Granting this money was egregious enough, but keeping that money from the community for another year and a half is outrageous.

This decision needs to be reconsidered. The original $7.5 million given to the Home Builders needs to be awarded to the School District to support efforts at the Technical College in North Port, where the storm hit and most of the damage occurred.  Let’s be honest with these funds and not continue to support the cronyism, syphoning dollars away from impacted citizens.

Jane Goodwin is a Venice resident and retired Sarasota County School Board member. 

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons: North Port after Hurricane Ian.

Join us for free admission to the museum for families, and art-making in the MakerSpace using botanical debris from Hurricane Milton. We hope you can find solace on our campus and in works of art, as well as a mindful reprieve in art-making at The Ringling. No registration is required. FAM (Family Art Making) is a free program that's fun for the whole family! Join us for creative art projects inspired by an object in our collections. Afterwards, visit the museum to see that object in person! You will be able to visit the Museum of Art and the Circus Museum with your FAM wristband that is provided at check-in. Tickets: This program is free, however tickets are required. Tickets are limited and will be available online approx. 14 days prior to each program. Walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows.