The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently announced that the annual “Season of Sharing” campaign surpassed $4.4 million in donations—the highest annual amount raised since the campaign's establishment in 2000 to provide a safety net for neighbors in crisis. During the last three months, more than 3,600 gifts were given by donors of all means to offer stability for those on the economic edge in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties.

Now in its 22nd year, the campaign has provided relief to nearly 50,000 individuals and families from Punta Gorda to Parrish by providing more than $34 million to assist with housing, utilities, child care, and transportation.

This year, The Patterson Foundation continued its support of the campaign through matching opportunities, contributing $100,000 for every $500,000 raised by the community. The campaign sparked seven such contributions, totaling $700,000–a  first in The Patterson Foundation’s 12 years of support.

In the year to come, the $4.4 million raised will be distributed through a robust network of more than 50 human services agencies, covering expenses that could otherwise leave people without a permanent roof over their heads, such as rental and mortgage assistance, utilities, child care, and transportation.