Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation

As our tenure as co-chairs has come to an end, we are buoyed and encouraged by the visibility within the Club and within the community that the Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation has earned. Deep thanks to the 2012 committee who contributed their TIME and TALENT: Matt DePalma, Merle Graser, Jerry Jarrett, Michael Nemser, Dewey Snowden, David Yarzab and Commodore Bob Piel.

Thanks go out as well to all of you who have contributed your “TREASURE.” Donors at all levels, and gifts in memory or honor of friends, family and loved ones help to build the fund for the future.

Eleven grant applications were received in advance of the November deadline. Of those requests received in this second and final 2012 cycle, six grants were awarded as follows: Habitat for Humanity of South Sarasota County - $750 for the Veterans’ Build project
Our Mother’s House - $860 for new cribs and mattresses
Venice Area Beautification - $250 for a hanging planter in the ongoing development of the Venice Avenue planter project
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast - $1000 for one match for one year in the Decisions to Win high school drop-out prevention program
Literacy Volunteers of South Sarasota County - $900 for expansion of the Reading Opens Doors program
Venice Art Center - $500 for a youth scholarship

Children, families, veterans, and the community are bettered by these gifts. All six are squarely matched to our grant categories. All six benefit Venice and the local communities from which our yacht club members hail. All six make a big difference to the recipient organizations. These are the principles which have guided us in formalizing our grant making in 2012.

With our words of gratitude for a year of good works come our hopes that participation will continue to grow, as will the fund going forward. Thank you, indeed.

Ann C. Thompson, Co-Chair
VYC Charitable Foundation - ann@anncthompson.com Janice Zarro Wood, Co-Chair VYC Charitable Foundation - jazarro@aol.com

Charting a course to a better community…