Supporting Hurricane Helene Relief and Recovery Efforts

Hurricane Helene emerged as one of the largest storms to ever strike the U.S., bringing extreme weather to communities from the Gulf Coast to Appalachia. We are struggling to process the sobering scenes of flooded homes and businesses throughout the Suncoast caused by the dangerous storm surge generated by the Category 4 storm.

For many, the harrowing days ahead will mark the beginning of a difficult recovery. In addition to the immediate individual needs of people and families, communities across the Suncoast will face longer-term challenges that have yet to emerge. As our region has learned through large-scale disasters in the past, providing for both short- and long-term needs is vital for holistic, resilient recovery.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, a longtime philanthropic partner of The Patterson Foundation, has provided effective, strategic ways to help individuals, organizations, and communities through natural disasters and other unforeseen crises for decades. Whether you’re a first-time donor aspiring to help your neighbors or a seasoned citizen philanthropist, anyone can make a meaningful contribution to our region’s recovery from Helene.

Supporting Immediate Relief for Individuals and Families
The Community Foundation’s Season of Sharing initiative is a way to support immediate relief needs for people in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. For 25 years, Season of Sharing has helped thousands in our region facing crises such as natural disasters by providing funding for one-time financial assistance for rent or mortgage, utilities, transportation, and other essential living expenses.

While Season of Sharing typically kicks off annually at the beginning of November, it can be activated in response to significant challenges facing our region, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Season of Sharing is actively fundraising to help ensure that impacts to those whose livelihoods are put on pause due to Hurricane Helene are as minimal as possible.

The Patterson Foundation will donate $100,000 for every $500,000 raised by the community for Season of Sharing to strengthen giving to this time-tested, trusted safety net — providing a financial bridge for our neighbors displaced from their homes or facing disruptions from work.

Strengthening Long-Term Community Recovery
The Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund gives generous donors the opportunity to support long-term, long-range programs to sustain human service agencies serving Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties so communities can heal holistically after a catastrophic weather event like Hurricane Helene. Established by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County following Hurricane Ian’s historic landfall in 2022, the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund supports vital community resources for those living here, with an emphasis on mental and behavioral health, legal services, case management, children and youth services, and other efforts identified by long term recovery groups.

All contributions to this fund will be dedicated to long-term recovery efforts, which tend to be identified in the months following an event like a hurricane after initial emergency and short-term disaster response and relief efforts have concluded.

Acknowledging the needs that will emerge over time from the local impacts of Hurricane Helene, The Patterson Foundation is contributing $100,000 to the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund. This gift comes just weeks after The Patterson Foundation seeded the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund with a separate $100,000 gift during the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, strengthening its capacity to support disaster recovery efforts beyond any one storm or moment in time.

Donate to Season of Sharing and the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s website, or by sending a check (payable to Community Foundation of Sarasota County) to Attn: Season of Sharing or Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237. All donations are tax-deductible.

Individuals and families in need following Hurricane Helene can call 2-1-1 to be directed to support from Season of Sharing and other services.