The Sarasota YMCA recently received a grant of $15,000 from the Harold C. & Jacqueline F. Bladel Foundation to support its Operation Graduation Continuum of Care, an innovative range of educational programs offered free of charge benefitting youth from early childhood through high school. The Continuum programs emphasize providing direct support to at-risk, minority, low-income, low-achieving and other disadvantaged youth, as well as youth who are not on track to graduate and those at greater risk of becoming involved with gangs, substance use, criminal activity and/or any other delinquent behaviors. The Bladel Foundation has supported YMCA programs since 2009; this year's grant is the largest to date. 

The programs impacted by the Bladel Foundation grant include: Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), a home-based, early childhood education program for caregivers with children ages 3-5; the YMCA Achievers, which empowers students to set and achieve goals in both their educational and personal lives; and Operation Graduation, which provides an enhanced afterschool program focusing on literacy and reinforcing daily academic work, along with the opportunity to have recreational time in a safe and secure environment. This year, the Sarasota YMCA will serve at least 540 minority, at-risk and/or disadvantaged youth in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. 

Sarasota YMCA