Bishop-Parker Foundation Awards $100,000 Grant to Season of Sharing

The funding bolsters the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s annual giving campaign and will be used to assist residents in Manatee County.

Sarasota, Florida — As the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s 26th annual Season of Sharing campaign enters its final stretch, the Bishop-Parker Foundation has issued a $100,000 grant to support the initiative, which supports people in crisis year-round. The funds will help individuals and families in Manatee County who are struggling to pay for basic needs like housing, utilities, childcare and transportation.

“Season of Sharing reflects the very best of our community—neighbors helping neighbors through moments of real vulnerability,” says Wendy Deming, the CEO of the Bishop-Parker Foundation. “Bishop-Parker Foundation is honored to support this trusted safety net and to help ensure Manatee County families have access to the basic stability they need to move forward with dignity.”

Season of Sharing was created by the Community Foundation in partnership with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 2000. Since its inception, the initiative has raised more than $50 million and assisted more than 57,000 households. Every dollar raised through Season of Sharing goes directly to help people in need, and donations can be directed to people in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte or DeSoto County, or to where the need is the greatest in the four counties.

“While our region did not experience any catastrophic disasters last year, like we did in 2024, the after-effects of Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton continue to linger,” says Jessica Muroff, the Community Foundation’s president and CEO. “In the wake of the storms, many residents are facing higher housing and insurance costs and have experienced cutbacks in hours and earnings where they work. This is all happening at the same time as the cost of everyday needs like food and utilities is rising, leaving many residents struggling to make ends meet. For too many local families, just one stroke of bad luck—a car accident, a health scare, or a child home sick from school—can put them at risk of becoming homeless. For 26 years, Season of Sharing has been a vital safety net for such families. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the Bishop-Parker Foundation for its generous support and its trust in Season of Sharing.”

Gifts to Season of Sharing can be made online at cfsarasota.org or by calling 941-556-2399. Donations can also be made by mailing a check addressed to Season of Sharing, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237. Donations are invited year-round, however, the matching opportunity provided by longtime partner The Patterson Foundation concludes on Saturday, Jan. 31. The Patterson Foundation strengthens Season of Sharing by donating $100,000 for every $500,000 raised by the community through that date.

To ask for assistance through Season of Sharing, residents are encouraged to call 211, the local hotline that connects callers to community resources and services for things like housing, food, mental health and substance abuse support, healthcare and more. If it is determined that someone may be eligible for Season of Sharing support, that person will be referred to a nonprofit with a caseworker who will help them navigate the application process. Once an application is approved, the money is sent directly to the applicant’s landlord, mortgage lender, utility company or other party, depending on the applicant’s need. The foundation does not issue checks directly to individuals.