Junior League of Sarasota awarded 11 grants to local nonprofit organizations totaling $40,000

Sarasota, Fla., – November 28, 2018 – In October, the Junior League of Sarasota awarded 11 grants to local nonprofit organizations totaling $40,000. The League’s Community Grants program is designed to address the needs of fellow nonprofits in Sarasota County. The Grants program is one of the very important ways the League sends fundraising dollars back into the community. This year 107 grant proposals were received, and after a comprehensive review process the recipients selected were as follows:

1. Transition Sarasota | Grant: $5,000 

The grant will allow Transition Sarasota to continue and expand their successful Suncoast Gleaning Project entitled Sharing Low & Higher Hanging Fruit, which will harvest fruit from residential properties that would otherwise be wasted.

2. The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast | Grant: $5,000

The grant will allow 60 additional children to become a part of the Creating “Wow!” Moments for Youth in Nature program that will target at-risk children in Sarasota County.

3. The Florida Center for Early Childhood | Grant: $5,000

Grant funds will support the Helping Families Healprogram by outfitting visitation rooms in which families receive counseling and therapy and will cover the costs of child-parent therapy.

4. The Haven | Grant: $4,770

The grant will provide The Haven’s Selby Preschool with a pediatric treadmill and lift mechanism for physical therapy. It will help to promote gait and gross motor skill development, posture control, balance, increase the child’s level of activity, and allow for therapy.

5. TeamUP Volunteer & Partnership Council | Grant: $4,365

Grant funds will support Closing “The Word Gap” for at-risk kindergarten students. The primary goal of this initiative is to connect trained volunteers with Sarasota County School District Kindergarten students in Title One schools to remediate deficits in early language and literacy development.

6. Sertoma Kids, Inc. | Grant: $3,865 

This grant supports the Small Group Instruction and Activities for Parents of Young Children with Communication Impairments program by hosting parent meetings led by Speech and Language Pathologists. It also covers 20 home visits providing support to parents.

7. Embracing Our Differences | Grant: $3,500

Through the grant-funded Classroom Docent Art Integration Project, high school-age docents from Riverview High school will go into local elementary schools and engage younger students in conversations about the importance of diversity and inclusion.

8. Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County | Grant:  $2,500

Grant funds will be used towards the Breastfeeding Support for Moms At-Risk for Early Cessationprogram and will support 50 in-home breastfeeding support sessions for struggling moms at-risk for premature breastfeeding cessation.

9. High Risk Hope | Grant: $2,500

Grant funds will support the Bed Rest Baskets and NICU Knapsacks program and will make it possible for HRH volunteers to deliver Bed Rest Baskets to newly admitted, long-term high-risk obstetric hospital patients.  They will also deliver NICU Knapsacks to families of newly admitted premature infants, providing additional personal care items.

10. In the Pink Boutique | Grant: $2,500

The grant will provide funds for the boutique’s Cancer Support Program,helping under-insured, uninsured and Medicaid-eligible women who have cancer with items including wigs, head coverings, mastectomy products, post-surgical garments, and lymphedema compression sleeves and gloves.

11. Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County | Grant: $1,000

The League grant will provide funding for one college-planning workshop for 9th and 10th graders, and their mentors in 2018-2019.

For more information on Junior League, please visit www.jlsarasota.org