This month, Redeemer will award grants totaling $70,000 to nonprofits in Sarasota and around the world.
The grants include $2,500 for Beauty Bridge, which provides no-cost beauty services to women in need; $20,000 for Help with Compassion, which plans to build a dormitory room for 35 high school girls in South Sudan; $15,000 for Second Heart Homes, which helps people who are homeless by providing housing and support; $5,000 for Sanctuary Hub, which supports the Church in Uganda; $7,500 for Redeemer’s St. Scholastica Grants, which offers grants to public school teachers in Sarasota and Manatee counties; $15,000 to Isaiah 117 House, which provides a comforting place for children to wait for foster care placement; and $5,000 for Women of Redeemer, which will be used to translate a book about freedom and faith by Katrina Wilson into Latvian.
For more information about each grant, please see below:
Beauty Bridge
$2,500 Grant
Beauty Bridge offers free personal care services to women who are struggling. Its purpose is to provide no-cost beauty services performed by volunteer, skilled, licensed cosmetologists. Beauty Bridge is a safe, caring space. Its vision is to open the door to beauty and personal care, removing the traditional obstacles of cost and access. The organization believes that providing individual services to meet each woman’s personal beauty need will in turn build self-esteem and confidence. Beauty Bridge Salons are community partners, working with other human service organizations in each urban location to provide resources to women as they rebuild their lives. The grant will be used to fund rent for the salon for 2023-2024.
Help With Compassion
$20,000 Grant
Help with Compassion helps the poor through acts of compassion and sharing the love of Jesus Christ. The grant will be used to build a dormitory room for 35 high school girls at St. Andrews High School in Bor, South Sudan. Some of the girls walk from 3 or more miles to attend school. During the rainy season, water stands on the roads, and it is difficult for them to attend school. After school, girls will be able to stay in this large room and study.
Second Heart Homes
$15,000 Grant
The mission of Second Heart Homes is to revive the dignity of the homeless population through housing, support, and love. The organization has eight homes (and counting) with 11 air conditioning units and handlers. Second Heart Homes would like to replace one or two units because at least five units are close to their last breath. The grant will help the organization provide a comfortable sense of safety for its residents. Last year, around $2,000 was spent on emergency repairs. By replacing two units, the organization will be able to reduce the cost of major emergency repairs.
Sanctuary Hub
$5,000 Grant
Sanctuary Hub’s mission is to support the Church in Uganda in its endeavor to spread the Gospel of Christ by discipling believers, building strong biblical family units, and providing faith-based affordable education for every child. This will be accomplished by establishing a duplicatable, self-sustaining community hub that glorifies Jesus and equips His people to impact the world. The grant will be used to build a fence around the property.
St. Scholastica Grants
$7,500 Grant
Redeemer’s St. Scholastica Grants assist full-time public school teachers in meeting their students’ needs. Redeemer believes it is its responsibility as a faith community to support local schools and educators. The St. Scholastica Grants program helps teachers provide educational enhancements to their classrooms, including science equipment, books, sheet music, art supplies, globes, and more. Grants are awarded to public school teachers at all grade levels throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. The grant will fund 30 grants of $250.
Isaiah 117 House
$15,000 Grant
Isaiah 117 House works to reduce trauma for children entering the foster system, lighten the load for child welfare services, and ease the transition for foster families. When children are removed from their homes out of concern for their safety, they are usually brought to a child welfare services office to await placement. The wait can last a few hours to several days. These children often have nothing with them and are scared, lonely, hungry, and in dirty clothing. Isaiah 117 House provides a comforting home where children can be brought to wait – a place that is safe with friendly and loving volunteers who provide clean clothes, smiles, toys, and snuggly blankets. This space allows children to receive the comfort and care they need while child welfare staff do necessary paperwork and identify a good placement. The grant will be used to build a kitchen in Isaiah 117 House’s home that serves the Sarasota area.
Women of Redeemer
$5,000 Grant
In October, Women of Redeemer hosted author Katrina Wilson, who spoke to Redeemer women and guests about her life and memoir. Wilson’s memoir, War, Love & Redemption, tells the story of how she escaped from Latvia with her mother and sister, with no hope of seeing her family or homeland again. The grant will fund the translation of the book into Latvian, allowing Wilson to share this important history with the Latvian people.
Redeemer’s Mission & Outreach Committee meets throughout the year to review grant applications. To apply for a grant from Redeemer, please click here to access our online application.