Event celebrates progress of fundraising campaign
On Feb. 26, leaders of the Safe Children Coalition “held a ceremonial groundbreaking on the site where a brand new Youth Shelter will be built, enabling the organization to expand its ability to protect and provide crucial services for youths and teens who are homeless or unaccompanied,” the nonprofit has announced.
The event included remarks from Safe Children Coalition (SCC) President and CEO Brena Slater; Vice President Jacqueline House, who is spearheading the fundraising campaign; board Chair Tony Gamelin; architect Rick Oswald of CMSA Architects; and construction manager
Brian Leaver of Tandem Construction, a news release points out.
Also in attendance “were a number of major donors to the effort,” as well as representatives from the area foundations and the design and construction teams contributing to the facility, the release says.
State Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, “who has been instrumental in securing a total of $1.75 million in state appropriations over the past two years” for the initiative, was present, too, the release adds.
The goal for the new Youth Shelter — which will be located on 2 acres of land on Sawyer Road in north Sarasota — “is to reduce waiting lists for homeless youths and protect more at-risk teens in our community,” the release explains. “The nearly 9,000-square-foot building will provide safe temporary emergency housing” for youths ages 10 to 17, “providing nearly 3,000 safe shelter bed-nights a year and serving up to 200 youth annually for many years to come.”
Thus far, the Youth Shelter Campaign has raised more than $7.6 million, “representing well over 80% of SCC’s Phase I goal of $9 million,” the release adds.
“I think I’m the most excited person at this groundbreaking today!” Slater told the event attendees. “I remember the early conversations when this building was just a dream and now we are closer than ever to making it a reality,” she added. “Being here today brings me full circle: When I started my child welfare career, it was at a youth shelter. I fell in love with the positive changes I saw in the children there. Now, all these many years later, it’s serendipitous that I would have the honor of building a brand-new youth shelter here,” she said.
“The Youth Shelter is the only facility designated for homeless teens in Sarasota and DeSoto counties; it serves youth from Manatee County as well,” the release notes. “Many of the teens served enter the shelter because of a mental health crisis and/or a parent’s inability to cope with a youth’s behavioral issues,” the release explains. In recent years, the SCC Youth Shelter has been at or near the top in terms of facility utilization, “out of the 16 shelters in the Florida network, exceeding contracted bed days,” the release points out.
For more about the Safe Children Coalition, or to inquire how to support the Youth Shelter campaign, visit sccyouthshelter.org or contact Jacqueline House at jhouse@sccfl.org or 941-371-4799, Ext. 1127.