A safe place to call home amid financial hardship. A supportive path back to work while in mental-health recovery. Respite care that helps families in crisis stay together.
Barancik Foundation has awarded nearly $7.1 million in new grants to strengthen supports that help Sarasota-area residents remain housed, healthy, connected, and prepared for opportunity.
“Nonprofit organizations are doing some of the hardest work in our community, often quietly, under pressure, and with far fewer resources than the need demands,” said John Annis, interim president/CEO of Barancik Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for these partners that show up every day to help families, strengthen neighborhoods, and solve problems that matter.”
Housing as the Starting Point
Several grants address one of the clearest drivers of instability in the region: limited access to safe, affordable, and supportive housing.
A $600,000 grant will enable Second Heart Homes to purchase and prepare another neighborhood home in which to provide long-term, supportive housing for homeless individuals living with mental illness.
Resurrection House will use a $300,000 grant to connect more individuals experiencing homelessness to coordinated pathways to housing and ongoing support.
The Foundation also directed $150,000 through our Affordable Housing Initiative to support the Stability, Housing, Intervention, Eviction, and Legal Defense (SHIELD) program, which provides legal support, financial assistance, and other services to individuals and families facing imminent eviction.
Community-Led Momentum in Newtown
In Newtown, several grants will build on community-led efforts to preserve homes, expand economic opportunity, and strengthen cultural assets.
A $1.25 million grant to Rebuilding Together Greater Florida will expand a successful pilot program to rehabilitate owner-occupied homes in Newtown while preserving neighborhood affordability. The new funding will support up to 100 more home-repair projects in Newtown and possibly other areas in the region.
A $325,000 grant to the Newtown Business Council will support implementation of the Newtown Thriving Community Action Plan, a community-centered plan for revitalization and economic mobility.
Barancik Foundation also made a major investment in Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, a cultural anchor of Newtown, which will use a $600,000 grant to build its organizational capacity, expand education programs, and provide opportunities for emerging artists.
Pathways to Stability
Barancik Foundation awarded $500,000 to The Academy at Glengary to support community members in mental health recovery at its Sarasota and Bradenton campuses. The Academy helps members build stability, improve wellness, and obtain supported employment as they reintegrate into their communities.
The Foundation is partnering with Gulf Coast Community Foundation to help families in crisis stay together and reduce the likelihood of child-welfare involvement. A $350,000 grant will support a Sarasota-area pilot of the Children’s Home Network’s Caregiver Support Services (CSS) program, which supports in-home respite care and navigation to resources for families with children at risk of entering foster care.
The Foundation also directed funding through three of its initiatives addressing food insecurity, early childhood supports, and reentry after incarceration:
- $500,000 to the Foundation’s Health Equity Initiative will fund research and pilot projects designed to reduce food insecurity in the region.
- $500,000 to the First 1,000 Days Suncoast initiative will provide matching funds to leverage additional community support for this network of free and affordable services for families during pregnancy and a child’s first 1,000 days of life.
- $253,000 to the Foundation’s Recidivism Initiative will sustain a reentry navigator position at the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office and provide heavy-machinery job-training simulators for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Relationships That Help Students Succeed
Two grants will support young people by creating conditions that improve academic engagement and outcomes.
A $600,000 grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast will expand access to high-quality mentoring relationships for youth by enhancing recruitment efforts, modernizing intake and matching systems, and reducing barriers to youth participation.
The Foundation also awarded $350,000 to Embracing Our Differences for its Education Ambassador Program, which equips teachers, administrators, and other school-based professionals to create positive and welcoming school environments through kindness and respect.
A More Resilient Coast
Finally, two grants will build on recent progress toward a healthier Sarasota Bay watershed.
A $360,000 grant to Oyster River Ecology will support oyster-reef rehabilitation and other ecological enhancement projects that provide nature-based solutions to improve water quality.
The Foundation also invested $450,000 in the Healthy Pond Collaborative, an effort coordinated by Solutions to Avoid Red Tide (START) that assists residential communities in improving their impaired stormwater-detention ponds.
