Community Foundation has a coffee talk with Diane McFarlin

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the room as members of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County listened to former publisher of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and recently retired dean of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, Diane McFarlin.

McFarlin teamed up with the Community Foundation in 2000 to found Season of Sharing, a charitable fund to help provide emergency funding for people on the brink of homelessness. The project has since been joined by other partners, such as The Patterson Foundation, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, and others. 

To date, more than 41,000 households have been helped, and more than $34 million have been distributed. 

Before standing for a photo with Community Foundation of Sarasota County Vice President of Strategy & Communications Mischa Kirby and  CEO Roxie Jerde, (above) McFarlin talked about Sarasota's special level of generosity..

“There is nothing as complex and yet simple as Season of Sharing,'' McFarlin said. "This complexity of partnerships that is supporting something that is so straightforward. So easy to comprehend that this is $1,500  so you can get back on your feet. Part of this is the magic of Sarasota. There’s no community like Sarasota.”