Past-Due Utility Bills For 32 Homes Paid By Foundations, Donors

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — The Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and a donor couple partnered to pay past-due utility bills for 32 families in Sarasota County, according to a news release from the county.

The donated funds were used to create a grant, which was issued directly to Sarasota County Public Utilities department through the foundations’ joint COVID-19 Response Initiative and ensured that utilities remained on in 32 homes, the county said.

“Some families in our community are just one bill away from losing their home,” Jon Thaxton, Gulf Coast’s senior vice president for community investment, said. “This grant allows for local families to shift focus from the stress of a past-due bill to keeping their family safe.”

Foundations in the region continue to play a critical role in supporting community members’ immediate needs during the coronavirus pandemic, with this grant being one of the first of its kind in the region, the county said.

Gulf Coast donors Bob and Lin Williams brought the idea to the foundations after reading a news story about local families in need. The couple made a gift through Gulf Coast to cover half of the cost of the overdue bills and the foundations matched it.

“As our community continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, the support of organizations like Gulf Coast and the Barancik Foundation, and philanthropists like the Williamses is more important than ever. We appreciate and value their efforts to help those who need it the most,” Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis said.

To date, Gulf Coast and Barancik Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Initiative has raised more than $7 million to provide immediate relief for families in the region. The initiative has supported more than 65 different nonprofit organizations that provide critical services, such as food for hungry families, childcare for first responders, telemedicine and counseling.