Tidewell Foundation Receives $30,000 Grant From Community Foundation of Sarasota County
The sustaining grant will directly benefit Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly family grief program in Newtown
The Tidewell Foundation has received a $30,000 Equity and Access grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to sustain the launch of Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly Newtown program. This sustaining grant will help Tidewell Hospice provide greater access to free grief services for children and families living in one of the city’s oldest historically African American communities.
Barriers such as transportation often limit minority families from being able to receive proper grief support following the loss of a loved one. Thanks to support from donors, the Tidewell Foundation is able to expand the reach of Tidewell’s evidence-based grief programs and services into Newtown. By expanding Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly program into the neighborhoods where they’re needed, Tidewell will be able to serve more youth and families.
“We’re very grateful for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s support to sustain Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly program and help grieving children and families in the Newtown community,” said Tidewell Foundation President Debbie Mason. “Without the many generous Tidewell Foundation donors, we would not be able to provide vital, free grief services to those who need it most.”
Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly is the only evidence-based program in our region that helps grieving children ages 5-18 and caregivers through professional counseling, peer-support groups and therapeutic activities. The free grief sessions bring children together who are experiencing the complex emotions that follow the loss of a loved one, creating opportunities to process these feelings without judgment while sharing stories that foster comfort and connectedness with others like them. Blue Butterfly peer-support groups are facilitated by grief specialists and trained volunteers who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support children and families.
To support Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly Newtown program and expansion efforts elsewhere in our region, visit tidewellfoundation.org or call 941-552-7546.
###
About Tidewell Foundation, Inc.
The Tidewell Foundation, Inc. is an independent 501 (c) (3) charitable foundation established to ensure perpetual philanthropic support to Tidewell Hospice and its family of healthcare companies. Charitable contributions to the Tidewell Foundation sustain and grow the critically important programs and services provided through the not-for-profit mission of Tidewell Hospice and its affiliates. Donor-funded programs offer compassion and comfort to those who need it most in our community by caring for all, regardless of their ability to pay. It starts with generosity and is paid forward with every patient connection, family served and life changed. Discover how each donation strengthens our community; learn more by visiting www.tidewellfoundation.org.
About Tidewell Hospice
Tidewell Hospice is an independent, not-for-profit health provider offering a home-centered, comprehensive system of end of life and palliative care for people living with advanced illness and their families. Annually, Tidewell provides care for nearly 10,000 patients throughout its four-county service area of Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. Hospice houses and offices are located in Arcadia, Bradenton, Englewood, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Port Charlotte, Sarasota and Venice. As the region’s only not-for-profit hospice, Tidewell relies on donor contributions to provide a number of its acclaimed patient and community services. Tidewell is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) with deemed status, signifying excellent care and meeting Medicare’s conditions of participation.
About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $421 million in more than 1,500 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $48.9 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $323 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.
