GOOD DEEDS: Everglades University project benefits homeless veterans
The Everglades University – Sarasota Campus recently partnered with Goodwill Manasota and its Veterans Services program to collect items to benefit homeless veterans.
The Everglades University donation drive – which ran from mid-August through mid-September – collected socks, T-shirts, canned food, Slim Jims, trail mix and other snacks, mini-water bottles, combs, deodorant and more.
These items were packed into backpacks and distributed to homeless veterans served by Goodwill’s American Veterans and Their Families program.
At Everglades University, students, staff and faculty choose a nonprofit to support each month. The charitable effort for veterans is a particularly good fit for the campus: Everglades University is a yellow ribbon school, serving many veterans who are getting their education after serving our country.
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US Eye, the management company of multiple local ophthalmology groups, including Center For Sight and Southwest Florida Eye Care, has established the US Eye Better Together Employee Relief Fund, a program providing financial support to employees who experienced significant loss during Hurricane Ian.
US Eye, of Sarasota, launched the initiative with a commitment to match the first $50,000 in donations. In addition, US Eye’s founder and CEO, David Shoemaker, M.D., offered to personally match an additional $25,000.
Within 24 hours, US Eye employees pledged over $50,000 in individual contributions for fellow employees impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Hoping to significantly surpass that number in the coming days and weeks, the company has opened the donation drive to the public.
The employee relief fund is administered by E4E Relief, a 501(c)(3) organization. E4E Relief will accept employee grant applications, review submitted requests to make award determinations and process grant payments to the employees in need. Employees will receive a cash payout to cover any expense incurred as a result of the hurricane.
If you wish to support a US Eye team member, fill out the pledge form here: https://tinyurl.com/USEPledgeForm.
No contribution is too small, and 100% of each tax-deductible donation will go directly toward helping US Eye families recover and rebuild their lives.
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CareerEdge, the workforce development initiative of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has received a $150,000 grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.
CareerEdge will use the grant funds to assist local employers with upskilling their workforce, as well as subsidize salaries for employees taking part in on-the-job trainings or internships.
Funding will also be used to deploy fast-track trainings for community members through its Bridges to Careers program.
Fast-Track training is a way for employers to quickly fill in-demand job openings while offering rapid credentialing and certifications critical within the industry.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Homeless veterans benefit from project, relief fund for employees
