The following article was written by Gulf Coast Community Foundation and appeared on Sarasota Magazine’s website on July 29, 2024.
August is back-to-school month and a time of transition for our community’s families. While the hustle of getting school supplies, backpacks, and clothing takes over most minds, we begin to think about a nonprofit that supports our local students in caring and transformative ways. Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County (Take Stock) offers college scholarships, volunteer mentors, college readiness services, and hope for a better life.
Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) has been a longstanding supporter of Take Stock’s mission, to break the cycle of poverty through education, and their vision to be the premier provider of mentoring, college success, and scholarship support for Florida’s underrepresented, economically disadvantaged youth. Together with donors, Gulf Coast has granted over $1 million to Take Stock.
“When you break the cycle of poverty and you see hope in action, when you see these children change their lives, you know you’re giving them an incredible opportunity. It’s rewarding for us and it’s rewarding for our mentors,” said Diana Dill, Take Stock’s Director of Development and Community Partnership Portfolio Manager. Dill added, “Gulf Coast’s financial support and understanding of our work has helped to expand the awareness and opportunity for our community to volunteer, for people who want to get involved and make a difference in the life of a child.”
Gulf Coast’s most recent grant will allow the team at Take Stock to connect deserving students, in North Port and Venice high schools, with the opportunity to transform their lives through education. Students who wish to participate in the Take Stock college program were selected following an extensive application process involving teacher recommendations, verification of financial need, and student essays. Once selected, students along with their parent or guardian, sign a performance agreement contract which requires them to remain drug-free, crime-free, maintain good grades and behavior, and regularly meet with a volunteer mentor. When the student graduates from high school and successfully completes the college program, a scholarship is awarded for the student’s postsecondary education which might be a community college, technical college, or a four-year university.
Tyler Macri, a rising senior at Venice High School said, “Take Stock has given me guidance throughout my high school career; it’s acted as a necessary support for me, and I feel that it has done nothing but to benefit me and my family by making our lives easier. My only issue with Take Stock is that it isn’t even bigger than it already is…I hope so many people can continue to benefit from it within the future.”
Future Forward
Take Stock is starting the 2024-25 school year assisting 415 students from Booker High School to North Port High School, plus 500 students currently in college. “We have great appreciation for Gulf Coast, as they believed in us as a small organization back in 2011 and saw that we were doing good work. Gulf Coast gave us the ability to hire people to transform the lives of these students. Gulf Coast is a huge part of why we’ve been able to double our program over the past few years,” said Lisa Bechtold, Take Stock’s Executive Director. By partnering together, educational opportunities are helping to break the cycle of poverty, one student at a time.
Take Stock supports the whole student as they create their post-high school plans which not only secures them a more prosperous future but also benefits their mental health. The confidence, positivity, direction, peace of mind, peer support, and mentorship that Take Stock provides to students aids their mental wellbeing. Students who were once feeling trepidatious now have their confidence boosted after receiving a scholarship and charting the course for their future in postsecondary education. “Take Stock has transformed my life by providing me with stability and support after I transferred schools. The program has also significantly eased my anxiety about college by offering very useful guidance. Now, I feel extremely prepared to follow my post-high school plans,” shared Gregory Williamson.
We asked Bechtold what keeps the mission of Take Stock alive in her every day? “The minute you sit and start talking to these young people, there is an energy you can’t explain. You hear what they are going through. Knowing we can make a small imprint and change the trajectory for that student, that’s why you get up every day. Knowing you can get them on a good path,” said Bechtold.
The more volunteers and mentors Take Stock has, the more students they can bring into the program. If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, click here. To learn more about Gulf Coast’s mental health initiative, click here.
