‘Tis the Season for Generosity

It's the Season of Sharing for United Way

by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County

The holiday season has come and gone, but United Way of Charlotte County is celebrating a different season – the Season of Sharing.

Each year, Season of Sharing covers crucial expenses for basic needs such as rental or mortgage assistance and utility bills to help families and individuals in our region get back on their feet following an unforeseen crisis. In celebration of The Patterson Foundation’s decade of continuous support for the annual campaign, it has awarded United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) a one-time honorarium for our dedicated role in connecting Season of Sharing recipients in Charlotte County with these much-needed funds from community donors.

Since 2001, United Way of Charlotte County has been the only fiscal agent in Charlotte County to administer these funds which is a grant provided by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Serving as the fiscal agent is an honor and a great responsibility.

Since the Season of Sharing fund was created, more than $29 million has been provided in emergency funds to individuals and families in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. These are often our ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families who live paycheck to paycheck without the ability to save for unexpected emergencies. Without immediate assistance, they would fall further and further behind on their bills and possibly end up homeless.

From March 2020 through the end of the year, Season of Sharing in Charlotte County provided $435,340 in emergency assistance to 1,710 people in over 600 households.

The honorarium from The Patterson Foundation will equip UWCC with the resources to continue mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty. By keeping our ALICE families afloat during hard times, we can prevent future generations from knowing what it feels like to sleep in their car or go without a meal. We are grateful for this extra financial support from The Patterson Foundation.

When a family finds themselves in need of assistance, they work with a case manager who directs them to available resources. The case management agencies do much of the leg work to ensure that Season of Sharing funds are accessed by those who qualify. They do this work at no cost to the Season of Sharing program. The Patterson Foundation provided them a one-time honorarium as well, to thank these agencies for their hard work.

Another reason to celebrate is the contribution from Charlotte Community Foundation (CCF) to the Season of Sharing fund. CCF raised money through their Hand Up Grant (HUG) to assist those with job or income loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, managed by Gulf Coast Partnership. CCF donated additional funds to Season of Sharing at the end of 2020, knowing that the struggle has not ended for many of our friends and neighbors.

The generosity of individuals, families and our area foundations is truly the heartbeat of a community. If you wish to contribute to Season of Sharing, The Patterson Foundation will donate $100,000 each time the community raises $500,000 until the end of January. Your gift can help us reach that next milestone.

Donations to the Season of Sharing fund may be made online at www.cfsarasota.org/season-of-sharing, or by sending a check (payable to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County) to Attn. Season of Sharing, 2635 Fruitvillle Road, Sarasota, FL 34237. Contact the foundation at 941-955-3000 for more information or to request a credit card form. All donations are tax-deductible.

For more information, please visit www.unitedwayccfl.org/seasonofsharing, www.thepattersonfoundation.org or call United Way of Charlotte County at 941-627-3539. Mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty. Angie Matthiessen is the Executive Director of United Way of Charlotte County. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.