On September 28, 2022, the Gulf Coast region of Florida was decimated by Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S.
These grants for immediate relief of those hit hardest by Hurricane Ian are just the beginning of a long road ahead to rebuilding and recovery. We have focused on health and human service needs in southern Sarasota County including Venice, hard-hit North Port, Englewood, Charlotte County, Lee County, and DeSoto County. Complementing government responses, our transformative philanthropy is focused on the recovery that is yet to come.
Thus far, our initiative has supported over 200 grants to our resilient nonprofit partners paving the way in recovery efforts. Together with our generous donors, we have provided $3.5 million in immediate relief to area nonprofits devastated by the storm. This life-sustaining support is essential for families and community members as many rebuild their homes and lives. We truly are stronger, together.
Grants from our Hurricane Ian Recovery Initiative include:
Lift Church - $10,000 to provide shelter and resources to help those in need as they rescue and recover losses from Hurricane Ian, including financial resources for immediate needs.
Kiwanis Club of North Port Foundation - $8,000 to provide gift and gas cards for families in need who lost nearly everything in Hurricane Ian. With the funding, they will be able to deliver the gift cards to parents and supplies to students.
All Faiths Food Bank - $50,000 to provide food and water to south Sarasota County and Charlotte County to support hunger relief efforts. Funds will be used for purchasing food and water, leasing vehicles and buying fuel, salaries and benefits for existing staff and temporary hires as needed, and to address capacity needs.
Safe Children Coalition - $30,000 to purchase gift cards for in-home and out-of-home children in the child welfare system and their caretakers in Sarasota County, and for gas cards to case managers who are visiting with families for travel and gas expenses.
Valerie’s House - $25,000 to provide gift cards, rent, and family assistance to grieving families in North Port and Charlotte County. Among their services, Valerie’s House provides open-ended peer support groups and activities for children to heal after a significant loss in their life.
Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County - $10,000 to provide immediate resources to students and families in need after Hurricane Ian. Many students were without power, food, and several had to leave their homes because of the storm’s destruction.
Laurel Civic - $10,000 for emergency assistance to families and individuals in south Sarasota County who seek assistance from Laurel Civic, plus new individuals the organization has met in their post-hurricane relief efforts.
Blaze of Hope - $2,500 for gift cards to meet the basic needs of families impacted by Hurricane Ian. The nonprofit’s funds are used to help families pay their personal expenses during the trying times of having a sick child in the hospital, as they serve local families under extreme stress.
Pregnancy Solutions - $8,000 to meet the influx of needs from expecting moms in Venice, North Port, and Port Charlotte post-Hurricane Ian. The organization has given out 4,000 diapers since the hurricane to their clients and parents in the community.
Hermitage Artist Retreat - $25,000 to assist with re-opening the campus for staff and artists and to protect the historic buildings.
Tidewell Foundation - $10,000 to meet the basic needs of their workforce in the aftermath of the hurricane. Their staff showed up to take care of their patients even with the enormity of disruption to their own homes and lives.
Tri-County Counseling - $15,000 for mental health and substance abuse counseling for clients in their North Port office.
Truly Valued - $3,000 to support Sarasota County families who need household necessities such as toiletries, cleaning supplies, clothing, and food due to loss of electricity.
Awaken Church of North Port - $10,000 to assist their North Port Food Pantry staffed by volunteers and meet the dramatically increased need. The funds will help towards services and supplies like tents, tables, coolers, utility carts, bags, and more for this life-sustaining community pantry.
YMCA of Southwest Florida - $100,000 to provide emergency care for children and families impacted by Hurricane Ian in south Sarasota County and Charlotte County. The Y has created community hubs open to all, started emergency, free childcare, and are feeding the community every day.
Centerstone of Florida - $10,000 to meet the emergency needs of patients impacted by Hurricane Ian. The nonprofit organization provides mental health and addictions services to over 16,000 people and families in southwest Florida each year, many of who were impacted by the storm.
Senior Friendship Center - $15,000 for immediate humanitarian needs of clients and staff impacted by Hurricane Ian. Their clients, already struggling with limited resources and the compounding effects of the pandemic and inflation, needed the most basic forms of assistance.
North Port Police Officers Association - $50,000 to assist their members, who are the men and women who work for or volunteer at the City of North Port Police Department, with costs not covered by insurance or to meet deductibles.
State College of Florida Foundation - $35,000 for a laptop loan program for students to switch to online learning due to hurricane damage at the Venice campus, making higher education possible for those students now forced to pivot to online learning.
Children First - $50,000 to support the basic needs of their families and staff impacted by Hurricane Ian through gift cards and other tangible items, as they provide daily support to those highly impacted.
Arcadia-DeSoto County Habitat for Humanity - $25,000 for the Disaster Recovery Critical Home Repair program fund, covering critical home repair needs.
Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida - $25,000 to provide food for households hardest hit by Hurricane Ian in Charlotte and Lee counties. The organization is working vigorously to feed those who have lost homes, possessions, livelihood, and loved ones.
Mayors Feed the Hungry - $10,000 for gift cards for food for families impacted by Hurricane Ian to meet the current needs of local communities through their food bank partners. The amount of individuals and families in need of gift cards skyrocketed in the days following the hurricane.
Blessings in a Backpack - $5,000 to feed children impacted by Hurricane Ian, providing weekend nutrition to children in need in Southwest Florida.
Restore Global - $11,750 for moving costs to deliver new appliances and household supplies to Charlotte, DeSoto, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota County nonprofits for families impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Epilepsy Services of Southwest Florida - $5,000 for transportation, and gift cards for most critically lost medication. The organization serves clients with epilepsy who have no health insurance and are at or below the poverty level. Many of their clients had their homes flooded and lost everything, including cars.
Gulf Coast Partnership - $15,000 to build their capacity to respond to individual requests for basic needs and to coordinate volunteers in Charlotte County.
Mothers Helping Mothers - $10,000 for financial assistance for families impacted by Hurricane Ian for basic needs. Families lost wages, housing, and their belongings. Mothers Helping Mothers is a 31-year-old, all-volunteer organization and a trusted organization for families in need.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice - $25,000 for financial assistance for Hurricane Ian victims in Charlotte, DeSoto, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota counties for items not covered by FEMA or for individuals ineligible for FEMA benefits.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast - $10,000 for gift cards for basic needs for families in Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee or Lee Counties impacted by Hurricane Ian. Many of BBBSSC's youth clients and their families have suffered tremendous losses in the aftermath of the hurricane.
Easterseals Southwest Florida - $8,000 to meet the basic needs of clients and staff impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland - $25,000 assistance for child care centers, employees, and families impacted by Hurricane Ian in Charlotte County.
Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens - $20,000 to assist them in re-opening to the public. The funding will help in their hurricane rebuilding, replanting, and reblooming efforts.
Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties - $25,000 to assist Lee County homeowners impacted by Hurricane Ian with critical support.
The United Cajun Navy - $20,000 to meet humanitarian needs resulting from Hurricane Ian in southwest Florida. This all-volunteer group of veterans and individuals from Louisiana are committed to helping neighborhoods recover.
Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota County - $25,000 for their Disaster Assistance Fund for community members impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Eight Days of Hope - $20,000 to provide disaster response in Sarasota and Lee Counties to those impacted by Hurricane Ian.
United Way of Charlotte County - $30,000 to provide case management to families seeking financial assistance due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian.
DeSoto Memorial Hospital - $25,000 for financial assistance to hospital employees impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Barrier Island Parks Society, Inc. - $20,000 to assist employees impacted by Hurricane Ian. All three of the historic structures they manage and operate were hit by the hurricane and sustained severe damage. With the support, they will continue to meet their important mission to protect the beautiful local beaches, wildlife, historical structures, and maritime history.
Beyond the Spectrum - $6,000 to assist their families with new bedding, clothing, hygiene supplies, food, and gasoline needs.
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. - $10,000 to provide vouchers and immediate relief to individuals impacted by Hurricane Ian. The support will provide 400 vouchers to people in need.
When All Else Fails - $5,000 for housing repairs (a drywall project) and basic needs of North Port residents impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Florida Center for Early Childhood - $20,000 (provided by the Atlanta Braves Foundation and Gulf Coast Community Foundation) to assist families financially at their Starfish Academy in North Port impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Links to Success - $15,000 to assist DeSoto County students and their families in recovering from Hurricane Ian. This will help ensure more DeSoto students reach their full potential.
Premier Mobile Health Services - $25,000 to provide free medical care to individuals impacted by Hurricane Ian.
First Step of Sarasota - $25,000 (provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation and Gulf Coast Community Foundation) to assist staff and clients in recovery impacted by Hurricane Ian. Staffing has been increased to meet higher demand for crisis services.
Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County - $15,000 for classroom supplies for 19 early learning centers, due to losses from Hurricane Ian, so they may serve their students.
Veterans' Outreach - $10,000 to assist veterans impacted by Hurricane Ian. They are a long-standing national model and serve veterans in the Sarasota area.
Shreveport Volunteer Network - $20,000 to provide debris removal services, repairs, and supplies to individuals impacted by Hurricane Ian.
MEANS Database - $10,000 to recover food that would be wasted and distribute it to food pantries to assist communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Venice Theatre - $200,000 to sustain their staff as they recover from Hurricane Ian. Their distinctive building in downtown Venice is inoperable and they are working hard to develop a plan to rebuild.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties - $1,000,000 to rebuild the Gene Matthews Club in North Port that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. The funding commitment spans over the next three years with an initial grant of $330,000 in 2022.
Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity - $30,000 for materials and supplies to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Ian.
Early Learning Coalition of the Heartland - $7,356 for essential supplies and equipment.
Girls on the Run Southwest Florida - $10,000 for scholarships for students in Charlotte, DeSoto, and Lee Counties.
CenterPlace Health - $75,000 for a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to provide mental health care in communities impacted by Hurricane Ian (made possible by a grant from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation).
Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida - $75,000 to support their Women's Health Care program at the Summerlin Health Center in Ft. Myers which was destroyed by flooding and many of their patient's lives were affected as well (made possible by a grant from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation).
The Players Centre for Performing Arts - $5,000 to assist them in recovering from losses sustained to their costumes and supplies due to Hurricane Ian.
Englewood Chamber of Commerce - $1,000 for Leadership Englewood Class of 2023 to conduct three community cleanups to remove storm debris from the canals.
Praying Pelican Missions - $20,000 to assist Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, and Lee County neighbors requiring assistance with home repair needs and basic humanitarian aid post-Hurricane Ian.
State College of Florida Foundation - $10,000 for bus passes for Sarasota County students in need of transportation to the Venice Campus due to Hurricane Ian impacts.
Redlands Christian Migrant Association - $32,000 to support staff at Child Development Centers in DeSoto County impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Charlotte County Homeless Coalition - $25,000 to meet increased demand post-Hurricane Ian for healthy food through hot meals and the food pantry.
Ability to Include - $6,000 for co-pay assistance for families impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Englewood Meals on Wheels - $9,000 to replace hurricane damaged food and supplies.
Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County - $50,000 to double the number of students assisted in Venice and North Port.
Forty Carrots of Sarasota, Inc. - $38,000 for mental health counseling for families recovering from Hurricane Ian.
Hope Hospice and Community Services - $10,000 for bereavement support to individuals impacted by Hurricane Ian in Lee County.
Venice Theatre - $197,778 to rebuild the Jervey Theatre destroyed by Hurricane Ian.
United Way South Sarasota County - $999.62 for Long Term Recovery Group support.