Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation

Greetings and welcome back, Snowbirds. We missed you.

My name is Sylvia Hollister, and I am privileged to be the incoming Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation Chair beginning November 1. I came to Venice in January 2017. In August, I became a member of the Venice Yacht Club, and in October, I joined the foundation. I have met so many great people, now the Club and its members are my family away from home.

As we begin the new Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation fiscal year, there is much to be thankful for. Most of all, we thank you, our amazing yacht club members. During these extraordinary times, you have helped us continue our mission of helping people at risk in our community.

The pandemic changed everything: the Club having to close, events cancelled, and capped capacity. Lots of our volunteer activities were also shut down, but numerous organizations we support needed our help more than ever. And the need was immediate. In both 2020 and 2021, we made the decision to bypass the usual timing and process for giving grants and got money out to many organizations as quickly as possible.

It was a good decision, because despite everything, your generosity shined through, and donations exceeded all our expectations! Our combined total of grants for 2020 and 2021 is on track to exceed $220,000. With your help, since the inception of the foundation, we have donated almost $900,000 to many deserving organizations in the greater Venice and South County area.

I would also like to thank my fellow foundation committee members. What a great team of hardworking dedicated individuals. I appreciate all you do.

Please remember our annual Donor Appreciation Event on Thursday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day). This is the one event where we get to thank you for your generosity and participation in the Foundation. As part of the evening we will be granting $5,000 to SKY YMCA Sunshine Academy, and $5,000 to the Venice Police Department’s Blue Santa Program, where children get to experience Shop with a Cop! We hope you can join us!

With deepest appreciation,
Sylvia Hollister, VYCCF Chair 2021

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updated: November 2020 Currents