The Patterson Foundation Creates Student Emergency Fund

The Patterson Foundation, in partnership with the Sarasota County Schools, established the Student Emergency Fund (SEF) to provide one-time funding for the emergency needs of students as part of its ongoing commitment to relieve the impact of crisis in people’s lives.

The Student Emergency Fund will give Sarasota County’s school staff, teachers and administrators the ability to provide students with one-time emergency assistance for things such as shoes, eyeglasses, school supplies, urgent medical needs or other critical necessities when all other resources have been exhausted. The fund will provide resources to meet these immediate students needs without teachers and other staff members using their personal money to help students.

Sarasota County students face challenges that can have a profound impact on their ability to be productive and engaged in their learning:

• In the past decade, Florida has seen a 36-percent increase in the number of students who qualify for a free or reduced-cost lunch.

• Currently in Sarasota, about 48 percent of the K-12 students qualify for the free or reduced-cost lunch program.

The Patterson Foundation’s initial investment provided the seed money for the Student Emergency Fund and through the community’s generosity, the fund will become self-sustaining and continue to grow to meet the emergency needs of Sarasota County students.