The Women’s Resource Center actively participates in several community collaboratives and committees in order to identify high impact partnership opportunities with other organizations, collectively solve regional issues, and to ensure it is lifting up the voices of the women it serves by communicating their needs and barriers. WRC is proud to work closely with the host organizations and other community agencies which participate in the collective impact initiatives listed below.
First 1,000 Days is a community collaborative, housed at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and funded by the Charles and Marjorie Barancik Foundation, which focuses on improving access and coordination of services for families and babies. The partnership connects organizations to address systemic barriers and provide better access to the prenatal, newborn, and early childhood development care that gives babies and families a crucial opportunity to thrive.
CareerSource Suncoast Partners Council
CareerSource Suncoast host a biweekly meeting of business, education, nonprofit and government partners in the region to share information and increase collaboration in the workforce arena.
Community Alliance of Sarasota County
The Community Alliance of Sarasota County is a group comprised of organizations in Sarasota’s human services community that make connections and set priorities for the social services delivery system as a whole. As a voluntary, unincorporated alliance, the logistical and organizational functions are also voluntary and hosted by the Glasser/Schoenbaum Center. The group convenes to collectively decide legislative priorities for each Florida Legislative Session.
REACH Manatee
REACH Manatee is a local college access network (LCAN), which is part of the Florida state-wide initiative called the Florida College Access Network (FCAN), that brings together educational institutions, businesses, philanthropic organizations, and community organizations to raise awareness about the importance of college attainment and its effect on having a high quality workforce in our community.
PLANit Sarasota is a local college access network made up of a cross-sector group of education and youth services organizations and funders focused on increasing the rate of students who pursue a purposeful postsecondary pathway, particularly among those historically underrepresented in higher education.
Manatee County Chamber of Commerce, Education & Workforce Partnership Committee
Promotes and supports the enrichment of education through Business and Education partnerships including Project TEACH, The Big Bank Theory and the Business & Education Partnership Awards.
Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Council
Through the leadership of CareerEdge, the Council helps sculpt new initiatives, focus, and funding for workforce-related efforts in the region. The goal is to better understand current gaps, challenges, and partnerships and to open doors of communication to learn ways to leverage support from one another, and to build a workforce development policy agenda.
Community Foundation of Sarasota County 2Gen Program
Women’s Resource Center partners with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County in their 2Gen work. 2Gen is the term used for focusing on the whole family and is based on its long-standing partnership with Ascend at the Aspen Institute, which developed the 2Gen model of building family well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with children and the adults in their lives. The Women’s Resource Center provides case management to 2Gen parents, assisting them, through a CFSC-funded Stipend Program grant, with accessing funds for college entrance exams, childcare tuition, and other costs associated with their pursuit of a post-secondary credential.
The Sarasota County Behavioral Health Stakeholders’ Consortium
The Behavioral Health Stakeholders’ Consortium represents over 70 active members including behavioral health service providers, law enforcement, the court system, the Department of Children and Families, the Sarasota County School Board, consumers of behavioral health services, local hospitals, housing providers and funders. Meetings are held monthly to monitor the overall system of care while addressing emerging trends in behavioral health. As issues arise, work groups are developed to create solution-focused approaches to continually improve behavioral health services and programs.
United Way actively facilitates this partnership to advance programs designed to help low-income families and individuals achieve financial independence. Partners working in the area of financial stability share resources and ideas for helpings families and individuals increase income and build financial assets.