Group of Gulf Coast Community Foundation donors propels Safe Children Coalition Youth Shelter Campaign

Recent major gifts totaling $325,000 from Gulf Coast Community Foundation and a group of the Foundation’s fund holders marked the successful completion of Phase I of Safe Children Coalition’s Youth Shelter Campaign. The fundraising effort is supporting the construction of a new Youth Shelter for homeless and other vulnerable children in Florida’s Judicial Circuit 12 (Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties). This generous group was thrilled to push the child welfare agency into Phase II of the fundraising effort, which is expected to be completed in the very near future.

The donors included in this group are: Gould Family Trust Foundation, Ken and JoAnn Johns - Johns Family Charitable Fund, Tim Kolschowsky and the Gerald A. and Karen A. Kolschowsky Foundation, the E. Liberty Fund, Keith Monda and Veronica Brady, Peter Powers, and the Sonya Weinfeld Charitable Fund. For most of these donors, this was not their first gift to SCC’s Youth Shelter Campaign.

The Phase I funding of $9 million covered the construction of the new facility. Phase II involves outfitting the backyard to make it suitable for teens and furnishing the shelter with beds and all of the furniture and supplies needed to make it a safe and comfortable place for its temporary young residents.

"This project shows what’s possible when donors come together around a shared purpose to support our community’s most vulnerable kids,” said Sasha Pyatte, Director of Donor Partnerships for Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “By combining their resources and dedication, they’re creating a space where young people in crisis can find safety and stability.”

For the past four years, the SCC Youth Shelter has been first or second in facility utilization out of the 16 shelters in the Florida network, exceeding contracted bed days. The new Youth Shelter will enable the organization to serve and protect more at-risk youths in the coming years.

“We are immensely grateful to all of the foundations, businesses and individuals who believe in our vision for a new Youth Shelter and have entrusted us to carry out this important project,” said SCC President and CEO Brena Slater. “We were thrilled to partner with these donors and Gulf Coast Community Foundation for the Phase I capping gifts, which enabled us to move to Phase II of our Youth Shelter Campaign. These gifts move us that much closer to opening the new, critically-needed facility.”

SCC’s new Youth Shelter will be located on Sawyer Road in north Sarasota; the exterior construction is nearly complete.

For more information or to contribute to SCC’s Youth Shelter Campaign, visit sccyouthshelter.org or contact Jacqueline House at jhouse@sccfl.org or 941-371-4799, ext. 1127.

About Safe Children Coalition, Inc.
Safe Children Coalition, Inc. (SCC) serves as the lead agency for community-based care for Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. SCC is a collaboration between local community agencies who provide services to children and families in need. SCC is committed to protecting children, strengthening families, and building community. The core functions provided by SCC include child welfare case management, foster care, adoption, independent living, prevention, diversion, quality management, and support services. Visit sccfl.org or call 941-371-4799.

About Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Since 1995, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has powered bold philanthropy and collaborative leadership to drive meaningful change across our region. Guided by values of authenticity, curiosity, collaboration, grit, and a trailblazing spirit, we work side-by-side with donors, partners, and community members to tackle our region’s biggest challenges and unlock its greatest opportunities. Together with our donors, we’ve invested more than $625 million in health and human services, education, civic & economic development, arts & culture, and the environment. Headquartered in Venice, with a second office in downtown Sarasota, Gulf Coast is nationally recognized for excellence, earning multiple “Best Nonprofits to Work For” honors and accreditation from Community Foundations National Standards®. Learn more at GulfCoastCF.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, andLinkedIn.