Community Resources

Every Child Has the Right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education. The Schoolhouse Link Program is a partnership between the Sarasota Family YMCA and the Sarasota County School Board. The program serves as the District’s Official McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison and provides services to help families and youth that are homeless and in transition. The program’s goal is to ensure that students in transition are able to enroll, attend and succeed in school. Schoolhouse Link supports each student by helping create educational stability and by removing any barriers limiting their success.

Meanwhile, support for the whole family is provided by linking them with essential service providers and community resources. Schoolhouse Link also helps to build strong literacy skills by providing children and adults with education tutorial sessions, supplemental literacy material, and referrals.

211/ First Call for Help
Provides information on community resources and referrals. Dial 211 or (941) 308-4357 
uw211manasota.net/

American Red Cross
  Provides fire and disaster related assistance www.redcross.org southwestflorida.redcross.org/

Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota
  Provides after school care in North Port, Venice and Sarasota www.boysandgirlsclubs.com/

Catholic Charities
  Provides financial aid www.catholiccharitiesdov.org

Children First (Head Start)
  Provides school-readiness program to low-income families www.childrenfirst.net/

Consumer Credit Counseling
  Provides help in reducing dept and making budget. Also has foreclosure related services www.cccscfl.com

Department of Children and Families
Applications for food stamps, Medicaid and Temporary Cash Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) www.myflorida.com/accessflorida

Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County
Childcare Connection and VPK www.earlylearningcoalitionsarasota.org

Englewood Helping Hands
Provides a variety of free services including food pantry, clothing closet and financial aid 941-474-5864

Federal Emergency Management (FEMA)
  Provides disaster related services www.fema.gov

Girls Inc.
  Provides after school program in Sarasota www.girlsincsrq.org

Goodwill
  Provides employment assistance and disabled housing. www.goodwillindustries.org

Gulf Coast Legal Services
  Provides legal help for low-income persons http://www.gulfcoastlegal.org

Housing Search
  Provides a list of housing with individualized search criteria www.floridahousingsearch.org

Jewish Family and Children’s Services
  Provides counseling and financial aid through “Building Strong Families Program” www.jfcs-cares.org

Jobs Etc.
  Provides job search assistance www.jobsetc.org

Mothers Helping Mothers
  Provides free clothing in Sarasota MothersHelpingMothers

North Port Social Services
  Provides financial aid to North Port residents www.cityofnorthport.com

Public Housing
  Provides low-income housing www.sarasotahousing.org www.venicegov.com www.sarasotagov.com

Salvation Army, Social Services
Provides financial aid, food pantry, and holiday assistance Sarasota (941) 954-4673
Venice (941) 484-6227
North Port (941) 240-5108

Sarasota County Health Department
  Provides low-cost health care www.sarasotahealth.org

SCAT (Sarasota County Area Transportation)
  Provides public transportation www.scgov.net/SCAT/

Take Stock In Children
  Provides mentor program and college scholarships to low-income youth www.takestocksarasota.org