Parishes in Sarasota County that are part of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul help those who are struggling financially by providing them with necessities like food, clothing, and shelter. There are emergency financial assistance programs available for help with electric, water bills, or rent; transportation help with car repairs or gasoline; free food; and even limited educational assistance or college scholarship programs.
There are several churches that are a part of SVDP and there are also hundreds of volunteers that help out in the Sarasota area. There are many churches in the area, including Saint Peter and Paul the Apostles Conference, St. Thomas More, Church of the Incarnation, and more. They all depend on donations, money raised from thrift stores, and volunteers to give assistance. For more information on getting help, please see the information below.
Emergency financial assistance for bills, housing, food, transportation, etc.
If a family is struggling to pay their rent or utility bills, they can apply for financial assistance from SVDP parishes in Sarasota County. There is money available to help low to moderate income households, as well as case management services. There will be free money for rent or energy bills along with free advice from case managers. There are lots of different ways that people can get help when they’re struggling. There are places they can go to get a roof over their head and food to eat, and there are also programs that can help with things like transportation and gas money. Even the applicant needs a notice that their rent is overdue or they are close to being evicted.
The team from Society of Saint Vincent de Paul will help households that are having difficulty to figure out why they are in a housing crisis. The organization will contact social services in Sarasota or local charities if necessary. This process will create a goal plan with follow up. The staff will closely monitor progress and address any educational or health care needs as they arise. If a family has other critical expenses that need to be paid, the organization will help them by referring them to loan programs.
The applicant will need to provide evidence of their housing crisis in order to receive a grant for rent, security deposits, or other needs. In order to get free gasoline vouchers or cards, you need to be able to prove that you have a job or are enrolled in school. A landlord may give a tenant a notarized eviction letter, referrals from another Sarasota County social service agency, letter from a shelter, or disconnect notice from a utility company.
Emergency food and grocery boxes, paper goods, hygiene supplies or toiletries are given out to people to help them with their hunger. There are also special formulas for infants and elderly people. The Sarasota County St. Vincent de Paul can provide non-perishable, fresh, or frozen food.
Saint Vincent Sarasota education and work assistance
There are resources available to help adults get to work, such as free work attire or gasoline vouchers. This sentence is saying that there are resources available for younger kids who are either in school or high school. Two examples of these resources are the Sophie’s Scholarship or referrals to other scholarship programs from corporations or non-profits. There are many scholarships available for students and adults. Some scholarships are need-based, while others are merit-based. There are also scholarships available for specific groups of people, such as minority groups or people with disabilities.
The goal of these programs is to help Sarasota residents get a job or improve their job skills. All of that is important for fighting poverty. The gasoline vouchers can help people, including the elderly, get to a critical medical appointment.
Applying for help from Sarasota County Society of Saint Vincent
There are multiple churches around the region. Please provide evidence of your income and need. This means that the person requesting help must be able to show that they can pay their future bills on their own, either through a job or benefits. The main locations are as follows:
St. Vincent de Paul – St. Maximillian Kolbe is a parish that is part of the St. Vincent de Paul organization. It is located at 21841 Felton Avenue, Port Charlotte. The main number for this organization is (941) 625-6784.
The thrift store is located at 2711 Mall Dr, Sarasota, Florida 34231.
St. Thomas More, also called St. Michael’s, is at 2506 Gulf Gate Drive in Sarasota, Florida. The main number for this company is (941) 447-8950.
The San Pedro church is located on the 14380 Tamiami Trail in North Port, Florida. To apply to SVDP, dial (941) 426 3894.
The Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles Conference is a location of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, located at 2850 75th Street W. The address for Bradenton, Florida is 34209. For hours, please call (941)794-1328.
The phone number for Epiphany Cathedral / Our Lady of Lourdes Conference is 941-493-2027.
The Incarnation provides food, clothes, and other necessities for people in need. The address is Sarasota, Florida Bee Ridge Road. To reach someone at the given phone number, dial 941-921-6631.