'Stuff the Bus' arrives Sunday to benefit Food Bank of Manatee; All Faiths' Bowls of Hope'
Walk to End Alzheimer's
'Stuff the Bus' food collection,
fundraiser Sunday at Publix
United Way Suncoast, Publix, Manatee County Schools, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee and the Herald-Tribune are coming together this weekend to "Stuff the Bus" in support of The Food Bank of Manatee.
Stuff the Bus, presented by Mosaic, will be held at all Manatee County Publix store locations on Sunday from 9-3 p.m. Customers can make nonperishable food and/or monetary donations at each of the 19 Manatee County Publix stores. All donations benefit The Food Bank of Manatee.
“We hope to reach or exceed our goal of collecting 150,000 pounds of food,” said Maribeth Phillips, CEO of Meals on Wheels PLUS. “This year’s inflationary factors have been multiplied by the recent impacts of Hurricane Ian, and we see an increased need for food. We are grateful to our community for supporting our efforts to feed families here in Manatee.”
Visit volunteersuncoast.org/stuffthebus for more information.
Tickets for All Faiths' Bowls
of Hope are on sale now
After two years off because of the pandemic, All Faiths Food Bank will again host its family friendly Bowls of Hope fundraiser on Nov. 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St., in Sarasota.
The benefit event to support neighbors who are experiencing hunger features many of the community’s finest restaurants and caterers serving soups, bread, desserts, and more. Guests select handcrafted bowls – all donated by local potters, artists, and students – to keep while enjoying a modest meal as a reminder of the empty bowls they help to fill.
“We look forward to gathering as a community, once again, during what has become one of our signature events,” All Faiths Food Bank CEO Sandra Frank said. “With already challenging economic conditions – and now the impacts of Hurricane Ian affecting area residents as well as thousands in South Florida – the community’s support is needed now more than ever.”
Tickets start at $35 at allfaithsfoodbank.org/bowlsofhope. Sponsorships also are available through allfaithsfoodbank.org. For more information, contact Becky Wright at 941-549-8131 or bwright@allfaithsfoodbank.org. The event is chaired by Patti Wertheimer and lead sponsors include Ron and Jo Jadin, Linda Monda, and Al Pezzillo.
Masala Giving Circle offers
grants and awards for 2023
The Masala Giving Circle, a diverse group of African-American women with a common passion for giving back, is accepting applications now through December for its annual grants and awards program in 2023.
Previous nonprofits and tax-exempt agencies that have received assistance include Newtown Mobile Pantries, Habitat for Humanity, We Care Manatee, JFCS of the Suncoast, Visible Men Academy, Food Back of Manatee, Newtown Nation, All Faiths Food Bank, and Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative.
“We choose grant recipients that best align with the Masala Giving Circle’s mission, which is to promote economic and personal empowerment through financial support for programs and initiatives that benefit African American/Black communities in Sarasota and Manatee counties,” grants committee co-chair Dana Cunningham said.
Visit masalagivingcircle.org for information on the application process, membership and more.
USFSM's Brunch on the Bay
supports major initiatives
Seats remain available for the Brunch on the Bay fundraising event on Nov. 6 at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. The event (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) will support a new Nursing/STEM building and other initiatives at USFSM as well as student scholarships.
The $61.7 million, 75,000-square-foot Nursing/STEM building will double the size of the nursing program; increase new majors in health disciplines and other programs; and fill the need on campus for teaching and clinical labs and research facilities.
Visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/brunch for more information about tickets and sponsorships.
Around and about ...
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast will host the Florida Society of Botanical Artists exhibit, "Wicked Plants," now through December on Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The showcase features 20 artists who created images of plants they consider to be "wicked."
An artists reception will be Oct. 26 from 5-7 p.m. at the foundation’s Bay Preserve headquarters, 400 Palmetto Ave., in Osprey. Artwork will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Conservation Foundation. For more information and to register for the reception, visit conservationfoundation.com/events or call 941-918-2100.
• The lottery for general registration for the sixth annual Skyway 10K on March 12 will be open Oct. 24-31 at Skyway10K.com with lottery winners to be notified on Nov. 4. A total of 8,000 registration spots available. The Skyway 10K benefits the Armed Forces Families Foundation.
• Manasota Mensa, the local chapter of the high-IQ society, is offering half-price qualification testing on Oct. 29 for $30. For information, including prior qualification criteria, visit at ManasotaMensa.com or call Don Chinnici at 941-539-8855.
Community submissions by Matt Eaton, Amy Towery, Sharon Kunkel, Caryl Sheffield, Danielle McCourt, Sam Valentin, Justin Clements, Don Chinnici.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: LOCAL: 'Stuff the Bus' arrives; Alzheimer's walk; 'Bowls of Hope' tix
