September is Hunger Action Month, an observance that unites millions to raise awareness and provide nutritious food to neighbors facing hunger. We know that, by working together, we can make a difference to ensure everyone has the food and support they need. But hardworking people continue to struggle as rising grocery costs, tariffs and government policy decisions impact families across Sarasota and DeSoto counties.

With this summer’s passage of the budget reconciliation bill, the U.S. has seen the most significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid in a generation. These changes are more than budget line items — they represent real consequences for real people. For millions of children, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities across the country – including right here in our community — this bill means less food, less access to health care and more uncertainty at a time when families are already doing all they can to get by.

As the above policy decisions begin to have real-world impacts, we are seeing significant increases in need throughout the region. Seniors and working families who are already stretched thin by rising costs are now facing even tougher choices about whether to pay for food, housing, medicine or utilities. We are seeing this play out on the front lines: between January and August, there has been a more than 22% increase in the number of people seeking assistance from All Faiths Food Bank compared to last year.

Children are suffering, too. Recent SNAP changes mean students who were eligible for free or reduced-cost school meals will no longer be automatically re-enrolled for the next school year — and thousands will lose their benefits entirely.

We are working to address child hunger through our 30 school pantries, which distribute fresh produce from local farms, dairy, meat and pantry staples to ensure children and their families have access to nutritious food throughout the year. But we can’t do it alone.

The best way to support All Faiths Food Bank is through monetary donations: 92 cents of every dollar goes directly toward hunger relief.

Our work also requires year-round help from volunteers. Volunteering at All Faiths Food Bank isn’t just about sorting or distributing food — though those tasks are crucial. It’s about restoring dignity to someone who may not know where their next meal is coming from. It’s about building a stronger, more compassionate community. It’s about standing up in the face of policies and politics that often leave our most vulnerable neighbors behind. Last year, more than 3,000 volunteers gave over 54,000 hours to help feed our community.

Visit allfaithsfoodbank.org to learn more and see how you can be a “Hunger Hero.” Your time and donations are gifts that help ensure no one in our community goes hungry.

Nelle S. Miller is the President and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank. 

Pictured: Children and families in Sarasota and DeSoto counties receive nutritional assistance at 30 school pantries located throughout the region Provided photo/AFFB.

Since our founding in 1995, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has elevated arts and culture as a cornerstone of our community. Creativity is not only a reflection of who we are, but also a springboard for ideas that continue to shape where we are headed. Three decades later, that truth has only deepened. We continue to look to our artists and cultural stewards to guide us, to challenge us, and to remind us of our shared humanity.

The dynamic power of art inspires us all. What strikes me most is how it elicits different reactions in each of us while also creating a shared experience that connects individuals from all backgrounds. At a performance or in a gallery, you can feel it in the room: the sudden gasp; the quiet reflection; the ripple of laughter; even the tears. Art invites us to pause, to feel, and to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Driven by our belief in the transformative power of art, Gulf Coast’s annual Empowering Arts Grant Program provides cornerstone arts organizations with unrestricted funding to fuel their missions. This year, with the vision of our Board of Directors and the generosity of our donors, we are investing $785,000 across 13 organizations for the 2025–2026 season. These include some of our region’s most celebrated cultural icons – from Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Circus Arts Conservatory, and Embracing Our Differences, to the Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, and Sarasota Opera. In addition, we are proud to support these transformative institutions: Venice Symphony, Venice Theatre, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Hermitage Artist Retreat, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida Studio Theatre, and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

We are excited to see how these organizations will spark new ideas and inspire our community this year. Venice Symphony is introducing two new concert series at the Venice Community Center, including a Chamber Music Series and a Big Band Series. Asolo Repertory Theatre will move audiences with its spring production of Fiddler on the Roof, while Embracing Our Differences continues to engage attendees with powerful exhibitions that celebrate empathy and belonging. These are just a few examples of the exciting programming taking place across our arts and cultural community, promising a season filled with performances, exhibitions, and experiences that will challenge, engage, and move us.

And let’s be clear: supporting the arts is about more than inspiration. Every dollar invested in the arts is a catalyst for our regional economy. It drives tourism, strengthens local businesses, creates jobs, and helps our neighborhoods thrive. When we lift up creativity, we lift up our entire community.

At Gulf Coast, we are proud to invest in this creative ecosystem year after year. I look forward to seeing you out in the community this season, celebrating the arts that define us and propel us forward.

Phillip P. Lanham is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.  

Pictured: Students visit the annual Embracing Our Differences exhibition at Bayfront Park. Photo courtesy of Embracing Our Differences

Imagine earning a high school diploma and a college degree in the very same week. That is the reality for many students through the Early College programs at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF). Known more widely as dual enrollment, early admission, and accelerated dual enrollment, these programs give ambitious students the chance to get ahead while saving families both time and money.

Participation comes at no cost. Tuition is fully covered, making it possible for students to complete meaningful college coursework without the financial burden that typically accompanies higher education. Families save thousands of dollars, and students graduate ready to continue their education or enter the workforce with confidence.

The benefits extend beyond affordability. Early College students gain experience in real college classrooms while still in high school, guided by SCF’s dedicated faculty. They learn independence, time management, and critical thinking—skills that help them succeed in whatever path they choose next. By the time they cross the graduation stage, they have not only saved money but also built momentum that accelerates their future.

SCF offers several options to meet the needs of different students:

• Dual Enrollment: Public, private, and home school students may take individual courses while completing their high school studies.
• Early Admission: Seniors can spend their final year fully immersed in SCF courses, earning high school and college credits at the same time.
• Accelerated Dual Enrollment: Juniors from Sarasota and Manatee county public schools, as well as Lemon Bay High School, may attend SCF full-time and even complete an associate degree before graduating from high school.

Students who participate often describe the experience as transformative. Through Early College, students can graduate high school already holding two years of college credit, demonstrating the program’s goal of double the credits in half the time, with zero tuition required. Their stories demonstrate what’s possible when opportunity and ambition come together.

Elizabeth Wigeri Van Edema, dual enrollment student and SCF’s Spring 2025 Outstanding Graduate, shared, “Excellence is all we should expect from ourselves, and all others should expect from us. I am confident that everything I have gained from this college will continue to impact me far into the future.”

Braydon Bernard, an accelerated dual enrollment student graduating with his associate in arts degree and a 4.0 GPA, and SCF’s Spring 2024 Outstanding Graduate, reflected, “Starting college can be challenging and even intimidating, but at SCF I always found the support I needed to succeed. The opportunities and personal attention I received here helped me grow more independent, discover my love of chemistry, and pursue my dream of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon.”

The impact of Early College at SCF reaches beyond individual achievement. These programs expand access, reduce barriers, and create pathways that strengthen both students and the broader community. With the application deadline for Spring 2026 on December 1, families have an opportunity to consider how Early College can help shape a brighter future.

For more information, visit SCF.edu/EarlyCollege.

Tommy Gregory, J.D., is President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. 

Pictured: Elizabeth Wigeri Van Edema with President Gregory and Interim Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs, Dr. Rand at the SCF Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony. Provided photo.

In the wake of recent events, there has been a call for unity nationwide and the ability to have conversations even if you disagree. Here in Sarasota, the collective community has been having productive conversations for a while, but peaceful discussion is not sensational enough to cover in the news, and it does not generate clicks and likes.

In 2017, a diverse coalition of important groups, who normally disagree a lot, got together to collaborate on an initiative that was very hard to argue with. Starting as Decide the Date and morphing into Change the Date, this was an effort by the community to change the date of the City of Sarasota commissioner elections to improve voter turnout.

It was a remarkable collection of significant groups with leaders who embraced dialogue, and an important cause, that had a side benefit of saving the City of Sarasota almost six figures in the first election after it passed. The Argus Foundation was a very proud member of that group, which included partners like the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Sarasota ACLU, Gulf Coast Builder’s Exchange, NAACP, the Realtor’s Association, the Manasota Democratic Black Caucus, Sarasota Republican Party, The International Union of Police Associations, and Florida ACLU among many others. The groups, some of whom had never agreed on anything, were unified on this issue.

As we had meetings, we always looked around the table in awe that this diverse group could sit together and have a dialogue, and plan together, and talk about what we wanted for city elections. We jokingly needled each other about past issues we disagreed on, we broke bread together, and we strategized together. This process humanized these leaders to each other, and it made us yearn for more, what else could we do together?

All of us learned a lot from that incredible community driven petition effort that passed with flying colors. We were honored to be a part of that historic effort that increased not only voter turnout, but increased minority turnout in elections. In the first election after the change was implemented, black voter turnout doubled in that election and Hispanic turnout increased by 743% - that was not a typo.

We have disagreements in this county, but we also have a level of civility amongst many good faith entities, an understanding that although we may disagree, we want the best for this community. The Argus Foundation wants to take the time to thank the many organizations we have worked with through the years for many incredible efforts that make this community great. We will continue to engage in good faith with our various community groups to make our county and cities better and stronger.

Christine Robinson is the Executive Director of  The Argus Foundation.