Safe Children Coalition receives major gift for Youth Shelter Campaign

A recent major gift has bolstered Safe Children Coalition’s Youth Shelter Campaign, a fundraising effort that 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). A donation of $100,000 has been provided by the Claudia Barnett Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to Safe Children Coalition (SCC).

The Youth Shelter Campaign is on the precipice of its Phase I goal of $9 million, which will fund the construction of the new facility. The gift has helped to ‘close the gap’ as the coalition marches toward completing Phase 1 of the campaign and initiates its second phase.

“My hope is that this capping gift to close out Phase 1 will inspire others to support the next phase, which will help make the shelter a home,” said Claudia Barnett.

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. The estimated cost for Phase II is up to $1 million.

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 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. “Thanks to the support of donors such as the Claudia Barnett Charitable Fund we are thrilled to find ourselves near the finish line of Phase I of our Youth Shelter Campaign.”

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

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 the Community Foundation of Sarasota County:
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $544 million in nearly 1,600 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $56 million last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $500 million to nonprofits in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families and businesses. For more information, visit cfsrasota.org or call 941-955-3000.