“Season of Sharing” Closes 20th Annual Campaign with More than $2.5 Million in Donations

SARASOTA, FL – The annual community campaign to prevent homelessness before it happens has raised more than $2.5 million in donations in three months, reaching a 20-year total of nearly $24 million.

For 20 years, “Season of Sharing” – conducted in partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Herald-Tribune Media Group – has empowered neighbors to help neighbors in need by providing one-time, emergency assistance to help with rent, utilities, food vouchers, child care, and other unexpected costs that may be the difference between financial stability and losing one’s home. Since Season of Sharing’s inception in 2000, more than 35,000 families and individuals have been touched by our community’s generosity, which is amplified by the approximately 3,000 annual contributions to sustain and strengthen the campaign’s reach.

“Caring for our community is part of our region’s unique culture, and Season of Sharing continues to reflect both the passion and the willingness of our community to extend a helping hand and change someone’s tomorrow today,” says Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “While this year’s results are truly inspiring, what is really worth celebrating is the thousands of families, veterans, and seniors who were able to remain in their homes thanks to our community’s outpouring of support, and all of those who pay it forward by donating when their lives are more financially secure. After all, this is the unifying power of giving.”

Longtime support from The Patterson Foundation continued with generous donations from the private foundation giving $100,000 for every $500,000 raised during the campaign, with this year’s campaign sparking four such contributions.

“As Season of Sharing wraps up another inspiring year, with donors throughout our region contributing more than any previous campaign, The Patterson Foundation is honored to increase its contribution as well,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “It has been incredible to witness the evolution of a movement that affirms our community’s generous spirit each year. Those who helped Season of Sharing reach this milestone should feel proud and touched by the impact it has on so many of our neighbors.”

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the campaign, the Board of Directors at the Community Foundation also added $200,000 as a catalyst for local giving.

While fundraising for the campaign officially runs from early November to the end of January, the services and support provided by Season of Sharing are used all year long to assist those in need. Donations to the Season of Sharing fund are accepted all year and may be made online at www.cfsarasota.org/season-of-sharing or by sending a check (payable to Community Foundation of Sarasota County) to Attn: Season of Sharing, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237. There are no administrative fees and 100 percent of your gift goes to helping the people and families who are working to stabilize their lives. All donations are tax-deductible.

To read stories from families and individuals who have been helped by Season of Sharing, visit www.heraldtribune.com/seasonofsharing.

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About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $418 million in more than 1,500 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $21.5 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $274 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.