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Events
Events
Masala Awards $42,000 at 2024 Awards Ceremony
On May 16th, Masala held our 2024 awards ceremony at the Westcoast Theatre rooftop and awarded $42,000 in Grants aimed at fostering growth and empowerment with our served communities. The ceremony was attended by over 120 members and recipients.
Awards recipients included: Rosalyn Walton Education & Enrichment Services, Inc; United Community Centers; The Multi-Cultural Health Institute; Educational Consortium, Inc.; Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe of Florida, Inc., and Sisters Sowing Seeds. Many of the attendees attended a Marvin Gaye performance at WBTT following the awards ceremony.
2024 Philanthropy Project
Masala members donated over 400 pairs of brand new shoes and sneakers, as well as hundreds of pairs of socks to support children in need of shoes and sneakers for their first day of school. The program was sponsored by the Church Women United if Manatee County and held at Pathways Christian Fellowship Center. The shoes donated by Masala will have a significant impact on their ability to provide shoes to hundreds of children. Wanda Gilbert, our Program Chairperson led the initiative with her team resulting in the largest donation for this program ever. Children of all ages and their parents were thrilled and grateful to receive new shoes along with socks for the new school year.
Past Events
Masala Giving Circle Supports Victims of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Community
Through one of our members, Vice President, Doris Johnson, Masala learned that the African American residents in the Dunbar community of Fort Meyers suffered catastrophic loss during the hurricane. She immediately contacted Minister Phoebe Pearson and St. Phillips CME Church in the Dunbar community. We learned that the smallest victims, children, not only lost their homes and belongings, but the hurricane had a devastating effect on their routines and basic needs we all usually take for granted, such as the ability to socialize and play with their friends.
Masala immediately mobilized and provided support for a Halloween “Trunk or Treat” which was a day of fun for the children with candy, games, food and other treats. It was a wonderful day for the children and Masala didn’t stop there. We didn’t stop there!. While continuing to provide the church and families with help, we launched a holiday wish for the church and through Masala member donations which in total exceeded $13,000, ~65 children had their holiday wishes granted. Members shopped, donated and fulfilled the requests from the children for toys, clothing, games, etc. In addition, each of the families received a $100 gift card to Walmart to fund a holiday meal and $1500 was presented to the church to enable them to supplement for gifts and food that were needed for members.
Our members showed their compassion and generosity by shopping; donating and showering these families with a little bit of holiday delight in the middle of their crisis. Creating positive change in the community is embraced by Masala Giving Circle and our members show the ability to mobilize when the need is there.
Masala Giving Circle awards over $75,000 in grants to support the African American community in Sarasota and Manatee Counties
Award recipients included Habitat for Humanity in Manatee and Sarasota Counties; the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition; Meals on Wheels; Minorities in Shark Sciences, ASALH Freedom School; All Faiths Food Bank; Take Stock in Children; and Good Samaritan Pharmacy & Health Services.
Minorities in Shark Science ($10,000) grant to support a week-long marine science summer camp designed to increase accessibility to the ocean and marine science for 20 teens of color ages 13-17, and to promote diversity and inclusion in shark science.
Jasmine Graham, President & CEO
ASALH Freedom School ($7,320) grant to support The Manasota branch of the Association for the Study of African American History Black History school for K-12 African American students on Saturdays at the Betty Johnson library in Newtown.
David Wilkins, President of ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History)
Take Stock in Children – Sarasota ($10,000) grant will support a college readiness & admissions mentoring and college for low-income, at-risk children in Sarasota County.
Marilyn Stewart, Director, Leaders for Life Fellowship
All Faiths Food Bank ($10,000) grant to help provide a mobile food pantry to bring food directly to the areas of highest need in the African American community.
Becky Wright, Manager of Special Events & Donor Engagement
Good Samaritan Pharmacy & Health Services, Inc. ($5,080) will provide free medication and medical services to diabetic clients in North Sarasota.
George Forcier, Volunteer
Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, Inc. ($8,963.73) grant will provide funds to repaint the walls, window trim, door and finishing touches at The Leonard Reid House, the site of the first African American Museum in Sarasota.
Vicki Oldham, President
Meals on Wheels, Sarasota ($10,000) provides and delivers meals to homebound, mentally or physically disabled or elderly persons who can’t prepare meals themselves. The grant will help provide 5 meals/week for up to a month to 125 African American clients in North Sarasota.
Rhonda Leiberick, APR Executive Director & Tom Flanagan, Secretary
Habitat for Humanity – Manatee ($3,000) grant will partially underwrite the rehabilitation of a home for an African American special needs teacher and her two children.
Kaveecia Moore, Director of Homeowner Services
Habitat for Humanity – Sarasota ($10,000) grant will partially underwrite the rehabilitation of a home for a single-family home for an African American family.
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Renee Snyder, CEO & President & Susie Ellis Resource Development Coordinator
Masala Sponsored FUNducation Holds LEGO Robotics Open House
On Tuesday, August 30 students were able to learn about the LEGO Robotics and Coding programs coming soon to the library for kids in grades 2 - 8.
The Masala Giving Circle hosts a variety of events throughout the year specifically for its members and grantees. These events range in purpose from awards ceremonies, informational meetings, as well as fellowship lunches and outings. We are also proud to participate and celebrate Black Philanthropy Month each year in August by highlighting a local organization in town and supporting them with member donations. In December 2021, Masala Giving Circle partnered with Dollar Dynasty to distribute toys, books and school supplies to children in the Newtown community. Masala members donated over $2,000 in cash, as well as seventeen bicycles, 150 books and almost 200 toys to seventy neighborhood children.
Black Philanthropy Month (BPM) was created in August 2011 by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland and the Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network (PAWPNet) as an annual, global celebration of African-descent giving. In 2013, a widespread and concerted effort began to invite public participation in a wave of high-impact events, media stories, and service projects. Expanding each year, the primary aims of BPM are informing, involving, inspiring and investing in Black philanthropic leadership to strengthen African-American and African-descent giving in all its forms.
