Holiday Season Is in Full Swing, and so Is Season of Sharing

Hurricane season officially ended last week, and I know I’m not alone in breathing a sigh of relief that this year’s season was a quiet one in southwest Florida. After 2024’s barrage, many of us expected the worst, but we were fortunate to avoid catastrophic storms like Hurricane Melissa.

But as hurricane season ends and holiday season kicks into high gear, I ask you to also remember another season—Season of Sharing.

If you’re not familiar, Season of Sharing is an annual giving campaign that runs from November through January. Created in 2000 by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the campaign has raised more than $50 million and delivered assistance to more than 57,000 households so far.

Because of our good fortune during this year’s hurricane season, the need in our community may be less obvious than it was last year, but it remains very real. While the Gulf may be calm, storm clouds are still gathering over the heads of many individuals and families in our community.

Last year’s hurricanes damaged many homes and businesses, leading to lost wages, evaporated savings and slowdowns in the tourism and retail sectors. At the same time, families are facing the rising cost of essentials like groceries, childcare, healthcare and home insurance, all while dealing with uncertainty about cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

What I love about Season of Sharing is how it allows neighbors to help neighbors. It gives people a trusted way to help a senior in crisis make a mortgage or rent payment or cover an electricity bill, or keep a family’s car running or ensure that their children have a safe place to learn and grow. Fully 100 percent of everything raised through Season of Sharing goes to help people in your community.

Another thing I love about Season of Sharing is that it allows anyone to be a philanthropist, regardless of their means. Over the years, donations have ranged in size from $5 to $1 million, and more than 60,000 gifts have been made. All of that impact is strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, which is once again supporting Season of Sharing by pledging to donate $100,000 for every $500,000 raised by the community through the end of the campaign. Overall, The Patterson Foundation has contributed $10.6 million in matching funds and other donations to Season of Sharing over more than 15 years.

Our community is one where generosity knows no bounds, but it’s also one where too many families are struggling to get by. According to United Way Suncoast’s most recent ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report, a Sarasota County household of four with an infant and a toddler needs to earn more than $104,000 to afford basic needs. That’s unrealistic for many residents. In fact, a recent affordable housing report commissioned by the Community Foundation along with other funders found that out of the 10 most common occupations in Sarasota County, only two pay a median wage high enough for people to afford a two-bedroom rental unit. That means that many of the county’s most essential workers—construction laborers, home health aides, childcare providers and more—earn wages that classify them as low-income. Even small setbacks, like an auto accident, a minor health scare or a child home sick from school, can plunge a household into financial crisis.

So, as you check off items on your holiday to-do list and put away your hurricane prep list, I hope you’ll start working on another list—a list of ways to help those in need. And I hope that list includes Season of Sharing.

Paul Hudson is the board chair and interim CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.