Prior Grant Requests
| Organization Name | Grant Year | Cycle | Request Amount | Grant Awarded | Awarded Amount | Matching Funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom House Manasota | 2026 |
2026-1 |
$2,000.00 | Yes | $1,200.00 |
Organization Name: Freedom House Manasota
Organization Website: https://www.freedomhousemanasota.org/
Year Established: 2010Â
Mission Statement:
Freedom House exists to help individuals struggling with addiction and instability find freedom and purpose.
Contact Name: Candace Luster Years in Position: 10
Contact Email: candace.luster@bailesconsulting.org
Contact Phone: 941-753-3471
Address: POB 5571
Sarasota, Florida 34237
Have you previously received a grant? No If yes, please indicate the year(s): Â
How did you hear about our organization?
social media
What do you believe we can provide your organization?
We believe The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle can provide not only financial support, but also meaningful community partnership and advocacy for the vulnerable families we serve. As a group of engaged and compassionate women committed to strengthening the local community, the Giving Circle brings awareness, encouragement, and collective impact that extends far beyond a single grant.
Support from The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle would allow Freedom House Manasota, powered by Bailes Consulting Services to provide essential items to mothers who are entering our program while recovering from addiction and homelessness. Many of these women are working diligently to maintain or regain custody of their young children, and having immediate access to basic baby care supplies helps stabilize families during a critical time of transition.
In addition to financial assistance, the partnership with the Women’s Giving Circle helps amplify the visibility of programs like Freedom House that are working to keep mothers and young children together and out of the foster care system. Their support demonstrates to the mothers we serve that the local community believes in their ability to rebuild their lives and create a safe, nurturing environment for their children.
We value the opportunity to connect with community members who share our commitment to supporting vulnerable families and strengthening the well-being of children in Manatee County.
What will the grant be used for?
Funds will be used to purchase supplies to assemble 40 Basic Needs Baby Kits for mothers entering the Freedom House program in Manatee County. This program is powered by Bailes Consulting Services. Freedom House supports mothers who are recovering from addiction and homelessness while working to maintain or regain custody of their children under the age of five. Many of the mothers arrive with very few personal belongings and often lack essential items needed to care for their infants and young children.
The grant funds will be used to purchase critical baby care items including onesies, breastfeeding pads, birthing pads, diapers, wipes, baby bottles, infant nail clippers, nasal aspirators, pacifiers, teething rings, baby wash, and baby lotion. These items will be assembled into kits and provided to mothers immediately upon their arrival at Freedom House.
Providing these basic supplies ensures that mothers can meet the immediate health, hygiene, and comfort needs of their babies from their first day in the program. This support helps reduce stress during a vulnerable transition period and allows mothers to focus on their recovery, parenting skills, and long-term stability while working to keep their children safely in their care.
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Provide the grant amount you are seeking: $2,000.00
Do you provide services to Sarasota and/or Manatee County? Yes
What is the financial impact per individual/program this grant will provide?
This grant will support the creation of 40 Basic Needs Baby Kits for mothers entering the Freedom House program. With a grant request of $2,000, the financial impact is approximately $50 per kit. Each kit will provide essential baby care items needed for infants and young children, ensuring that mothers arriving from homelessness have immediate access to basic necessities for their children.
Each kit will directly support one mother and her children, meaning the grant will benefit approximately 40 families entering Freedom House. By providing these supplies at the beginning of their stay, the program helps relieve the immediate financial and emotional stress many mothers experience when they arrive with limited or no baby care items.
This investment allows mothers to focus on recovery, parenting, and building stability while ensuring their children’s basic health and hygiene needs are met. In addition to the direct impact on 40 families, the grant contributes to the broader goal of keeping young children safely with their mothers and reducing the likelihood of foster care placement.
Please provide the estimated number of women, children and families impacted.
This project will directly serve 40 mothers and their young children who are entering the Freedom House program in Manatee County. Each mother will receive a Basic Needs Baby Kit upon arrival to ensure that her infant or young child has immediate access to essential care items.
Because the mothers in our program are parenting children under the age of five, this project will also directly benefit their children. As a result, the project is expected to impact approximately 120 individuals in total, including 40 women and approximately 80 young children.
By providing these kits at the time of entry into the program, Freedom House helps ensure that mothers who are transitioning from homelessness and working toward recovery are able to meet the immediate needs of their children while focusing on rebuilding stability for their families.
Is there a matching grant? No If yes, indicate donation source:
May we tour your facility? Yes
What reciprocal benefit can you provide our organization:
Freedom House values strong community partnerships and would be honored to recognize The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle for their support. We would be pleased to acknowledge the Giving Circle as a valued community partner through several opportunities.
The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle logo and recognition could be featured on the Bailes Consulting Services and Freedom House Manasota websites partner page and highlighted in our organizational newsletter. We would also recognize the Giving Circle through social media posts thanking them for their support of mothers and young children in our Freedom House program.
Additionally, we would welcome members of The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle to visit Freedom House to learn more about the program and see firsthand the impact their generosity has on the families we serve. We are grateful for the opportunity to share the story of how their support helps mothers in recovery provide safe and nurturing environments for their children.
Through these efforts, we hope to highlight the Giving Circle’s meaningful role in strengthening families and supporting vulnerable mothers and children in Manatee County.
Proof of Non-Profit Status https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/BCS-501c3-Tax-Determination-Letter.pdf
Organization’s Logo https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/FHpbBCS-150×150.png [110 show_image=1]
Project/Program-specific budget: https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/TLC-Womens-Giving-Circle-Grant-Request-Budget.pdf
Guide Star Profile/Rating (if applicable): https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/Bailes-Consulting-Services-Inc-_-Candid.pdf
Anything else you would like to share with us?
Because our program often houses women seeking shelter from abusive relationships, we do not publicly provide our address. However, once a date is determined, we would be delighted to provide a tour.