NEWS

COMMUNITY BRIEFS: Ukraine forum at USFSM; tree fair; Family Promise; Sisters Sowing Seeds

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Sisters Sowing Seeds

Sisters Sowing Seeds has received a $5,000 donation from Neal Communities to support its mission of empowering young women and girls through school programs, tutoring services and counseling sessions. “We’re still a new foundation so a donation like this has a major impact for us,” said Monica Donley, who founded Sisters Sowing Seeds in 2015. For more information, visit sisterssowingseeds.org. Neal Communities has supported the nonprofit since 2019 with donations totaling $11,000.

Ukraine forum puts focus
on global economic fallout

"Ukraine: What's Next?", a four-part online series hosted by the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, continues on Wednesday with "Financial and Economic Impacts."

Katarzyna Zajdel-Kurowska is executive director at the World Bank Group and a former member of the management board at the National Bank of Poland.

Part 2 will focus on the global financial fallout from the Russian invasion with keynote speaker Katarzyna Zajdel-Kurowska, executive director at the World Bank Group since November 2020. She also is a former member of the management board of the National Bank of Poland. The forum begins at 8:30 a.m. with moderator David R. Kotok, chairman and CIO of Cumberland Advisors. For information and free registration, visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/ukraine.

Part 2 also will be offered in-person starting at 8 a.m. at Selby Auditorium, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota on the USFSM campus. The series continues on May 10 with "Cyber Security Analysis" and on May 24 with "Diplomatic and Humanitarian Aspects."

The forum is presented by USF Sarasota-Manatee, The Air Force Association Florida West Coast Chapter, Cyber Florida, the Global Interdependence Center, the USF Institute for Public Policy and Leadership and USF ResearchOne.

24th annual Tree Fair
set for City Center Green

The 24th annual Tree Fair sponsored by People for Trees is scheduled on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Center Green in North Port, 4970 City Hall Blvd.  

Hundreds of native trees in 3- and 7-gallon sizes will be for sale for $15 to $25 each, including sweetgum, elm, bald cypress, longleaf pine, southern red cedar, dahoon holly, pignut hickory, red maple, sycamore, and sugarberry. An “Ask an Arborist” booth is sponsored by Greentopps Landscaping. 

Children can receive a free 1-gallon native tree for taking the “Tree Pledge.” Plus there will be music, food trucks, and vendors. Visit peoplefortrees.com for more information.

Family Promise gains $10,000
grant for emergency assistance

Family Promise of South Sarasota County has received a $10,000 grant from the Quinn Charitable Foundation to assist with emergency needs for families.

All funds will be used to assist families in emergencies, including childcare expenses; car repairs and tires; driver’s license reinstatement and auto insurance; counseling; emergency shelter; transportation (gas cards and bus passes); and health care.

Jennifer Fagenbaum is executive director of Family Promise of South Sarasota County.

“Unexpected expenses ... can be debilitating for our families already struggling to make ends meet," said Jennifer Fagenbaum, executive director. "Funding such as this grant is vital as a large number of families in Sarasota County are spending more than 50% of their income on housing costs per month. Add in the rising housing costs, and families are barely able to cover the costs of their bills much less prepare for unexpected expenses.”

For more information, visit htfamilypromisessc.org.

Temple Emanu-El to host
memoir writing workshop

Temple Emanu-El will host a free memoir writing workshop via Zoom with author and editor Bruce Black on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. 

Bruce Black is editorial director of the Jewish Writing Project and is the author of "Writing Yoga."

Black serves as editorial director of the Jewish Writing Project and is the author of "Writing Yoga." His stories and poetry have been published in Tiferet Journal, the Jewish Literary Journal, Hevria, Yogi Times, and Blue Lyra Review, and in the collection "Chicken Soup for the Soul." He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a master's in fine arts from Vermont College.

Black will guide participants through the process of reviewing their life events for memorable moments, and help them shape these moments into stories to share with family and friends. No previous writing experience is necessary. Register for the workshop at sarasotatemple.org/events.html.

Literacy Council of Sarasota
offers online English classes

The Literacy Council of Sarasota will offer an online beginning English class starting in June.

The class will meet twice per week in 10-week cycles.  A Zoom account (free) is required and Literacy Council staff will help new participants get set up. New participants can also be assigned a one-on-one tutor at no cost. For questions or to register, call LCS program assistant Sandra Beltran at 941-955-0421 or sbeltran@sarasotaliteracy.org.  

The Literacy Council also will offer U.S. citizenship prep classes via Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays starting on May 2 through July 18 from 6-8 p.m. Cost is $50.

Around and about ...

The State College of Florida Performing Arts Department, in association with the Artist Series of Sarasota and Sarasota Music Conservatory, will host PianoPalooza! on April 30 to May 8. 

The weeklong festival of events includes concerts, master classes, a juried competition, music theory workshops, and socializing. A list of events, hosted mostly in the new Studio for the Performing Arts, is available at scfmusic.info/pianopalooza.

• The Serenoa chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society will hold its Spring Wildflower Festival & Plant Sale today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sweet Bay Nursery, 10824 Erie Road, Parrish. The event will include demonstration gardens, plant experts and vendors. Info: serenoa.fnpschapters.org.

• Laughter Yoga of Venice will hold training sessions on April 30 and May 1 (World Laughter Day) involving deep breathing, stretches, playful laughter exercises, movement, and relaxation techniques. Participants also will receive a Laughter Yoga Leader Certification at a World Laughter Day celebration at Centennial Park on Venice Island. Visit Recipes4Resilience.com.

• LENNAR will host the 14th annual Payton Wright Foundation Golf Tournament to benefit families across the nation who have children with brain cancer on April 29 at Lakewood National Golf Course in Bradenton. Visit paytonwright.org/events to register or donate.

Compiled from press releases and community submissions.