Focus on Manatee | COVID-19 pandemic is the right time to support nonprofit groups in Bradenton

A few weeks ago, I was making one of my many “last trips to Publix” to gather final needed items in the case of a quarantine. (Toilet paper not included.)

Closing in on the checkout aisle, I ran into Amy Wick-Mavis, executive director of Pace Center for Girls, a public charity that provides a unique educational experience for vulnerable girls between the ages of 11 and 18, in middle or high school. Pace helps each girl achieve her academic goals, develop real world skills and prepare for the promise of her future.

Amy was shopping for her father, while thinking about what life would be like for her daughter in the midst of a rapidly evolving COVID-19 crisis.

At the same time, Amy’s overriding worry was “her girls” at Pace. Ensuring that the individual needs of each girl will continue to be met is not light work. This has been Amy’s job for nearly 25 years. The hundreds of girls she and her staff have nurtured have graduated with very different futures—positive futures—because of their commitments to quality, whole-person education.

Pace is now closed through April 15 to protect public health. Like other organizations with notably good leaders, the nonprofit will continue to deliver on its mission during this time of uncertainty.

How can this happen? Because individuals who care will make the decision to actively invest in girls who need them by continuing to donate.

We long for the day when “COVID-19” and “pandemic” will not overtake the headlines, and regular press conferences will go on permanent vacation. But today, it’s our reality, a shared reality. Each day, nonprofit leaders, their staffs and volunteers are working tirelessly to care for the children, seniors, single women, veterans, families, and other populations they serve.

We need to support them. As needs grow and evolve, the opportunities to make a difference are plentiful. Now is the time to give.

Manatee Community Foundation urges individuals who can make charitable gifts to do so. Here are a few options to consider:

Give directly to organizations you care about. If you have been a supporter of nonprofit organizations in the past and are pleased with what they have accomplished with your dollars, give again. Maintain your past levels of commitment. Social service agencies, arts and cultural institutions, animal welfare organizations, museums and aquariums, and nonprofits supporting education all need your help and participation. If you need some guidance and recommendations about strong organizations to support based on what you care about most, contact us at (941) 747-7765 and we can help.

Support families through the Season of Sharing Fund for Manatee County. If your wish is to directly support individuals and families who are at risk for losing their homes, you can provide one-time financial assistance for rent, utilities, or transportation through the Season of Sharing Fund. Visit the Community Foundation of Sarasota County online at CFSarasota.org and be sure to designate your gift to residents of Manatee County. The Patterson Foundation has stepped forward with 1:1 matching funds up to $500,000 and provided an initial $500,000 gift directly to the fund in a response to COVID-19. Let’s ensure that our Manatee neighbors will be participants and recipients in this generosity.

Give general support for health and human service organizations serving Manatee residents. As we move through this time, we will not see a shortage of opportunities to safeguard child welfare, support mental health, ensure food security, and provide basic needs for those who have fallen on hard times. If you do not have specific organizations in mind for direct gifts, contact Manatee Community Foundation to learn more about a developing fund established to address these needs.

Our respectful request is simple: if you are in a position to give, do not wait. Our local charitable organizations need you.

Amy Wick-Mavis is but one example of a nonprofit leader in our community who dedicates her life to the public good. Taking work home is not new. It has been part of her job year after year because both needs and opportunities persist after five o’clock—just as they continue now.

The responsibility felt by leaders in this field can be daunting. But the truth is, it’s the responsibility of all of us to take care of our community. Repeatedly, Manatee County says, “We can help.” We will rise to the occasion.

If you are not able to give financially, imagine what other acts of kindness or outreach can simply affirm that another person is heard, appreciated, or matters. The ways people have shown support for each other are making a true difference: sending hand-made cards to nursing homes, purchasing gift cards from local restaurants to give employees for a job well done, sharing hard-to-get items with others, and picking up the phone to say, “I am thinking about you today.”

Do not be afraid to talk about the ways you are supporting our community during this time. Your stories are not merely “distractions” from the tough news. They will inspire other people to do what they can. And most of all, they are reflections of who we all are in Manatee County—people who will work together to get through this.

For more information about trusted ways to give, visit ManateeCF.org or call (941) 747-7765.

This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Focus on Manatee | COVID-19 pandemic is the right time to support nonprofit groups in Bradenton."