Preparing for back-to-school can be a stressful time for all students, even more so for students who are facing challenges of homelessness heading into a new school year. This July, we partnered with Hope 4 Communities, a local and faith-based organization dedicated to serving the homeless youth throughout Sarasota while raising awareness. Each year, a new local church is chosen as the host facility for this event and we were thrilled to get to see so many lives changed right on our Bee Ridge Campus! 

Every child deserves to feel confident and provided for, no matter the circumstances they find themselves in. Day 4 Hope is the premier event hosted annually by Hope 4 Communities which is geared to address and cater to the growing needs of the more than 1,000 homeless students in Sarasota. The heart behind Day 4 Hope is to help make the back-to-school transition for all students as seamlessly as possible. 

Bee Ridge Campus was filled with over 125 volunteers that joined arms with tons of local businesses and specialty partners to show intentional love to these students. The body of Christ was on full display as members of all backgrounds and ages came together and offered up a variety of essential resources for the future leaders of our next generation. Volunteers from all walks of life joined forces for a day that truly impacted each and every person involved.

From start to finish, it was all hands on deck as resources not limited to medical services, haircuts, and backpacks filled with supplies were offered throughout the entire day. As smiles grew bigger from station to station, you could feel the presence of God dancing through the walls of the campus and into the hearts of those inside. The faces of volunteers and children alike reflected each other’s joy as everyone involved seemed to get the sense that this was a day bigger than the hours that held it in place. Day 4 Hope 2021 was a timely and transformative taste of a heavenly kingdom that would not have been possible without your generosity of both time AND resources! Thank YOU!