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Jellison Family Foundation provides $1 million for hurricane relief

Posted on by Pranco
Jellison Family Foundation provides million for hurricane relief

The Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation is making two matching gifts totaling $1 million to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the community following the devastation of Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, the organization announced .

“These storms have presented our community with unimaginable challenges, and we feel a deep responsibility to support both the immediate recovery efforts and the long-term rebuilding efforts,” said Christie Jellison Mucha. “By coming together, we can help those affected regain stability and rebuild their lives. We hope these matching gifts inspire others to join us and make a meaningful difference to those in need.”

The impact of the gifts includes:

· A matching gift of $500,000 for Season of sharing to provide immediate assistance to residents of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. Once the gift is matched, it could potentially raise $1.2 million for Season of Sharing, which also has a match from the Patterson Foundation contributing $100,000 for every $500,000 raised.

· A matching gift of $500,000 for the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund to support long-term recovery across the region once emergency response efforts are completed.

The Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund was activated in the days leading up to Hurricane Ian’s historic landfall on the Gulf Coast in September 2022. With a focus on long-term, equitable and holistic recovery, the fund prioritizes supporting human services such as childcare and youth programming. It also focuses on underserved and vulnerable populations – people living in poverty, people with disabilities and people with mental illness. Investments through this fund typically begin months after a disaster occurs, once immediate recovery efforts are completed and service gaps and unmet needs can be identified.

The Jellison Family Foundation played a critical role in fundraising in the early days of the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund, providing $500,000 with a match challenge that was quickly met, raising $5 million in fundraising within weeks of Ian’s landfall was achieved.

25e annual season of sharing

The 25e Season of Sharing’s annual seasonal fundraising campaign was activated this year in the wake of Hurricane Helene, over a month earlier than normal each year, to help thousands of lives disrupted by the damage of that unprecedented storm surge in coastal communities. Hurricane Milton, which had a broader impact, has further exacerbated the needs of communities.

“These important gifts will go a long way in helping our community recover,” said Roxie Jerde, CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “We are grateful to the Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation for their inspiring support. This generosity and confidence in our Community Foundation’s stewardship of these funds will provide a much-needed boost to our community, enabling a resilient recovery.”

Season of Sharing covers expenses such as housing, utilities, child care and transportation for people who face unexpected expenses or loss of income. While not explicitly a disaster relief fund, many whose jobs have been suspended may not have the resources to pay monthly bills. Others facing unexpected damage repairs may also feel financially stressed.

Donations to the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund and Season of Sharing can be made at cfsarasota.org/donors/support-our-community#donate or by sending a check (payable to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County) to Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237. All donations are tax deductible.

Submitted by Rebecca Abrahamson