The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has awarded nearly $1 million to local nonprofits to address ongoing impacts of Hurricane Ian, with another $720,000 reserved for multi-year grants for long-term recovery efforts that will take several years to take root. Programs supported through this grant include hurricane survivor advocacy and case management, mental and behavioral health treatment, youth services, and still-lingering home repairs.

Thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Operation Warrior Resolution plans to create community initiatives that meet the growing need for mental health support and bolster long-term resilience for local veterans. The funding will also advance collaboration and engagement with community partners to help Operation Warrior Resolution accomplish its mission of decreasing veteran suicide and giving veterans their lives back.

Recent grants to All Faiths Food Bank support its Mobile Pantry program, which provides access to healthy foods to community members in Sarasota and DeSoto counties who are experiencing food insecurity. Two recent contributors to the food bank’s Mobile Pantry program are Ameriprise Financial ($5,000) and the Masala Giving Circle ($10,000; these funds are designated for mobile pantries in Newtown).

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announced receipt of several significant grants that will support the Hermitage’s mission and community programming: a $40,000 Arts Appreciation grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation; a $15,000 grant from The Exchange; a Capacity Building Grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County; and support in undisclosed amounts from the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, the Camilla & Earl McGrath Foundation, the Amphion Foundation, Sustainable Arts Foundation, and Plantation Community Foundation.

CareerEdge, the workforce development initiative led by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has been awarded a $125,000 grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. CareerEdge will utilize the grant to implement demand-driven strategies, including Fast-Track training programs, on-the-job training, internship reimbursement programs and employer funding to upskill employees.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded Forty Carrots $25,000 to fund a new van for community outreach and travel for its Mental Health Program. Part of the foundation’s Equity and Access initiative, this grant is made possible through the Leslie and Margaret Weller Fund, Arthur T. Esslinger Memorial Fund, James Franklin Warnell & Dorothy J. Warnell Fund, and the Two-Generation Approach Fund.

The Junior Achievement Florida Foundation recently received a $70,000 grant from State Farm. The state-wide initiative will support Junior Achievement learning experiences in eight localities throughout Florida—including Sarasota County—enabling thousands of young people to participate in JA’s financial literacy and career readiness learning experiences.