For those who have expressed interest in donating supplies for local families & individuals in need after the devastation left by Hurricane Ian, please note the following donation site information: Grace Community Church, 8000 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, Drop-Off date & time: Sunday, October 2 to Sunday, October 9 – 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day; First Sarasota – The Downtown Baptist Church, 1661 Main Street, Sarasota, Drop-Off date & time: Sunday, October 2 – 12:00 to 4:00 PM; South Shore Community Church, 1899 South Tuttle Avenue, Drop-Off date & time: Sunday, October 2 – 3:00 to 7:00 PM; Coast Life Church will be accepting supply donations at their new campus, located at 1100 U.S. Hwy 41 Bypass in Venice, Drop-Off date & time: Monday, October 3 – 8:00 to 10:00 AM and 4:00 to 7:00 PM. There are varying levels & types of need in our community right now and a wide variety of care items would be helpful: Basic toiletries like shampoo, toothpaste, hairbrushes and toothbrushes, body wash and soap,clothing items like shirts, skirts, pants, hoodies/jackets, socks, and shoes, blankets, sheets, sleeping bags and pillows, nonperishable food items such as peanut butter, canned vegetables, canned soup, & cereal, bottled water, juice boxes, comfort items like stuffed animals, books, and games. CoastLife Church will be hosting a BBQ dinner for those in need on Monday, October 3 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at their new campus, located at 1100 U.S. Hwy 41 Bypass in Venice, Grace Community Church will be the distribution site for these donated items; however, community organizers are still working out a schedule of dates/times for pick-up. We’ll share additional updates as soon as more information becomes available. Communication is still unstable throughout the county, please follow Sarasota County Schools on social media (@sarasotaschools). Visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane for the latest school-related updates. For other county information please visit www.scgov.net.