The Powerful Spirit of Our Community

We’ve learned firsthand that the power of Mother Nature has the ability to reshape our world in an instant. In the wake of these recent powerful storms, the even more powerful spirit of our community is shining brightly. The camaraderie and generosity are inspirational. We’ve received significant support from local donors, but we have also received gifts from people all over the country who want to do their part to help our communities rebuild.  

Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) recognizes the critical role we play in efficiently and effectively responding to the needs of our region following a natural disaster. Our Rapid Response Fund was created to provide life-sustaining support such as immediate shelter, food, water, case managers, mental health services, and humanitarian muck and gut for those whose lives have been upended.  

We’ve seen a tremendous outpouring of support for our boots-on-the-ground non-profit partners who are working around the clock to help their clients, many of whom find themselves in need of charitable services for the first time in their lives. When disaster strikes, families who are living paycheck to paycheck find themselves with insurmountable expenses to repair their homes, replace their flooded vehicles, not to mention the emotional turmoil of losing prized family heirlooms along with their personal possessions. Gulf Coast’s Rapid Response Fund has issued 39 grants totaling nearly $900,000 for our region’s relief efforts. As we have seen in the past, the immediate needs are great and the road to full recovery is long.  

Just over two years ago, on September 28, 2022, our neighbors in south Sarasota and Ft. Myers experienced the wrath of Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S. The team at Gulf Coast knew quick action was needed to ensure those who found themselves in a vulnerable position had the resources and support necessary to begin rebuilding their lives. Our committed Board and nimble staff had and still have the talent and capacity to respond to immediate needs, filling the gap between the disaster’s impact and when government resources become available.  

In the months that followed Ian’s landfall, Gulf Coast, along with our generous donors, provided over $3.5 million in relief funding. Our first grant was processed just days after the storm made landfall.  The Hurricane Ian Recovery Initiative provided over 200 grants to our resilient nonprofit partners, including a $1 million multi-year grant to help rebuild the Gene Matthews Boys and Girls Club in North Port. This Club provides a safe haven for over 450 children and teens who participate in award-winning programs that empower them to achieve their full potential, practice healthy habits, and create plans for success after high school. We recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the new 14,000-square-foot facility, which represents an exciting start for this new campus that will provide the children of North Port with a state-of-the-art facility to learn and grow into the leaders of tomorrow. 

We learned a lot about our role in disaster recovery following Hurricane Ian.  Now that Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton have passed, our team is making tremendous efforts to help restore our community.  In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we recognized the deep impact the storm had on food and beverage workers on the barrier islands, and in the days following the storm, we partnered with the Southern Smoke Foundation to provide financial resources to those food and beverage workers who found themselves suddenly out of work with no timeline for when their places of employment would reopen. Then, as we all braced for Milton’s impact, we knew the need in our region would be even greater. Our first grant to support Milton relief efforts was awarded seven hours before the storm made landfall. This funding empowered our partners at the United Way of South Sarasota County to begin lining up resources that would allow them to provide relief as soon as the storm passed. United Way of South Sarasota County’s CEO, Barbra Cruz shared, “We did not waste any time hiring our Housing and Emergency Services Navigator! Peter’s been on the job for only a few days and has completed 10 temporary housing placements! I can’t tell you what it means to these individuals and families. Thank you so much for your trust and support in helping us provide rapid response solutions for our community during this crisis.”

The resiliency of our community can be found in every neighborhood. We are picking up the pieces and restoring our region one day at a time. Our Rapid Response Fund is here to support you. Together, we are Gulf Coast Strong.