The 2022 Giving Challenge is only a month away. Can you believe it has been two years since the last challenge? In 2020 Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary participated in our very first Giving Challenge. As newbies we weren’t sure what to expect
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Every so often we like to feature a person who we consider to be a “HomeGrown Hero”. What makes a HomeGrown Hero? Someone who gives back to their community, who has the desire to help others and finds a way to do just that! Tiffany Howard-Webb is the founder of Rescue of the Week Flash Sales. Each week she hosts an online fundraiser for different 501c3 rescues and sanctuaries. Tiffany tells us she looks for
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Meet Grace Elston, founder of Beyond the Pack, a 501c3 animal rescue in Ft Meyers, Florida. Beyond the Pack was formed in 2019 but Grace has been involved with rescue for a very long time. She started her rescue journey 20 years ago as a transport coordinator, rescuer and foster. Today, she is still involved with animal transport when time allows. Although Grace tells us that her sanctuary is small, she still spends 70+ hours
Read more →Meet Chris Gelsleichter and Colleen Pearce of C&C Rescue Foundation. Chris and Colleen started hosting their annual C&C Rescue Rally fundraiser 11 years ago at Entersection Bar in Sarasota. As animal lovers, they started the event to help raise funds for and draw attention to local nonprofit rescues. Each year they choose a few animal rescues to benefit from the rally and split the funds between them. The event has grown so much over the
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In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 18-24, we will be showcasing several volunteers throughout the week. Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization and even though we don’t have time to share all their stories, we appreciate every one of them. We’d like to kick off the week by introducing you to a group of amazing young adults who spend their free time making a difference in their community and beyond, including
Read more →Meet Cheryl Johnson, a board member and volunteer for the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch. We recently spoke with Cheryl about what she does for the shelter and why it is important for the community to have places like this. If you are not familiar with the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch, they are an organization who rescue animals in need and find adoptive homes for them. Cheryl tells us they also educate people on
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Holley, a full time mother of four, wanted to do something to help her local community. With the stay at home order in place, kids being homeschooled and most places closed to the public, she had to get creative. She turned to social media, starting a fundraising group on Facebook called Giving Back 941. Her goal is to help as many local nonprofits as she can by raising funds through a fun and innovative online
Read more →by Jessica Waller Prospect Riding Center (PRC) is a therapeutic and recreational horseback riding center focused on helping individuals with special needs overcome physical, developmental, and psychological challenges. Located on over 20 acres in Myakka City, the staff and volunteers provide a warm, nurturing, and safe environment for riders to develop core strength and balance, enhanced self-esteem, and increased communication and social skills. The fun and educational experience is aimed at promoting a lifelong interest
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Founder of Empowerment Gulfcoast After their 30-year-old son (middle child), who had overcome opioid addiction, passed away from thyroid disease, possibly triggered by his previous drug use, Connie and Chuck Kauffman began to search for answers. They kept circling back to one over-riding factor: loss of hope. With friends and other concerned community members, Empowerment Gulfcoast, Inc. formed to help young adults counter that struggle by offering a multi-faceted approach: professional counseling (if needed), financial
Read more →Giving Alliance of Myakka City, Inc. (GMAC) conducts programs to promote, uphold, and empower the general welfare of the community by providing access to human resources to those in need. Programs target Manatee County, FL residents, living in Myakka City and nearby areas. GAMC Directors include Dan Cacchiotti, Rose Riggle, Yvonne Aronin, Kerri Carter, Dennis Wallick, Carl Patrick. Not only are they Directors, but they also volunteer regularly. It takes all of them to make
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