The Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center, the “Campus of Caring,” provides quality, accessible facilities and resources for the local human services nonprofit sector. CEO and Executive Director of GSHSC Kameron Hodgens, recently created a special fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County called the Sally and Sam Shapiro Memorial Fund—established to honor the late couple’s long standing commitment to philanthropy and involvement in our community.
In 2013, the Shapiros provided the lead gift to construct a new medical facility for the Health Department’s children’s services on our campus, inspired by Mrs. Shapiro’s love for babies and children. “Their family’s legacy continues as Mr. Shapiro’s son Tom serves on our board and is the chair of our Buildings and Grounds committee,” says Hodgens. “When Mr. Shapiro passed away in February, we received many donations from across the country in his memory. Those gifts, combined with donations from Tom and from our Giving Challenge results, are seeding the Shapiro Memorial Fund.” Those dollars have since been turned into a grant opportunity for each of the 17 nonprofit health and human services agencies on campus that help low-income and at-risk adults, children and families. Each fiscal year, they can apply for up to $1,000 for a program or need to benefit staff and/or clients who work at or are served at the GSHSC.
“Naming this collective, collaborative fund that is distributed equally to each of our campus agencies annually seemed like the perfect way to honor Mr. Shapiro’s esteemed legacy and his passion not only to our mission, but for nonprofits who work very hard every day to improve the lives of those most in need.”
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to partner with SRQ Media Group to highlight stories about community impact powered by philanthropy in our region, thanks to the support of donors and our local nonprofit partners. The Community Foundation 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.
Real estate is one of the greatest costs in a business budget. Our partnership with The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center allows more money to go towards our mission. And what better place to house our office than on a campus with nineteen other outreach agencies.
Collaboration is key to the success of our work. The Campus of Caring is a unique space where we can easily join forces with other agencies to make the best use of our resources and maximize our community impact. The affordable rent allows us to allocate more funds to our mission of transforming the lives of students and their families.
As a small organization with a staff of two, employee safety was a big consideration when we were looking for office space. We did not want our employees to be in a place where they were alone. Being on the GSHSC campus has been great because there is a whole community of like-minded professionals.
