Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse

So proud of Elijah Jason we will honor him at the Shining Star Awards & Recognition Luncheon on May 29th. Go to our website scosa.org to join the celebration of success.

Congrats Eli Jason!! Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse 2020 Shining Star Winner!! Well done Eli.

Out of concern for the community and to help keep everyone safe; we have decided to rescheduled our Shining Stars event to Friday, May 29, 2020.

If you have any questions, please feel free to message or email us.

Please stay safe and healthy.

Thank you to all who participated in this years event, and congratulations to this year's Citizen of the year, Graci McGillicuddy, and our Student Shining Stars, Morgan Davie from Sarasota High School and Jaylin Caldwell from Booker Middle School and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, who received our Community Leadership Award

Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse | Shining Stars 2018 SCoSA, a non-profit organization that advocates for substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment an recovery in Sarasota County.

Our event is tomorrow! Thank you to all that could help and to those that donated to make this year’s event the successful event it will be!

Bad batch of he**in kills 4 in Sarasota SARASOTA, Fla. -- A bad batch of he**in is circulating through the City of Sarasota, killing several people in the last week alone. The drug is believed to be laced

Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse
NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT:
Paul K. Sutton, Executive Director, Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse
www.SCoSA.org 941-928-4435 cell

Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse to honor ‘Shining Stars’ at luncheon

SARASOTA COUNTY, March 9, 2017 - The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse (SCoSA) will honor the 2017 award winners at the 12th Annual Sarasota Shining Stars Recognition and Awards Luncheon.

The event will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Thursday, March 23, at Michael’s On East, 1212 East Ave., Sarasota.

Scott Dennis, senior news anchor at WWSB/ABC 7, will serve as the emcee. Les McCurdy of McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre and Humor Institute will be the keynote speaker.

Individual tickets are $75 and table sponsorship is available for $800. Tickets are available online at www.SCoSA.org or by calling SCoSA at 941-928-4435.

The award winners are:

Citizen of the Year: Caroline Zucker, Sarasota County School Board, Chair

Caroline Zucker is being recognized for her years of service on the Sarasota County School Board (1992 – 2000) (2006 – present), which she currently Chairs. Caroline also served as President of the Florida School Board Association. Caroline’s service to the community also includes: Do the Right Thing, Juvenile Justice Committee, Sarasota Community Alliance, Drug Free Schools & Communities Advisory Committee, and so much more. Caroline’s focus on children has positively impacted many lives and enriched the entire Sarasota community. The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse is proud to recognize Caroline Zucker as the Shining Star Citizen of the Year.

Community Leadership Award: Gulf Coast Community Foundation

The award is in recognition of the leadership demonstrated by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation since 1995 (22 years). The Foundation has become the home of more than 650 philanthropic families and together they have invested more than 230 million dollars in grants in the areas of health & human services, civic & economic development, education, arts and culture, and the environment. The leadership shown by Mark Pritchett, Elton White, and Jon Thaxton has been a catalyst for change. Gulf Coast partnered with seven key agencies, and more than thirty other service providers, improving the lives of homeless children and their families in Sarasota. Gulf Coast worked with All Faiths Food Bank addressing seasonal food shortages with the Campaign Against Summer Hunger. Because of this leadership homeless children and families have two havens and people who could have gone hungry have more food. The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse is proud to recognize the Gulf Coast Community Foundation with the Shining Stars Community Leadership Award.
(MORE)
SCoSA 2016 Shining Stars news release, cont’d.

Community Leadership Award: Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Suncoast (JFCS)

The award is in recognition of the leadership demonstrated by JFCS in the community for 30 years. JFCS is a multi-county premier multi-function social service nonprofit. JFCS served more than 15,000 individuals between 2014-2015. JFCS as a not-for-profit organization provided more than 75,000 services, including case management, individual and group counseling, life skills education and assistance with basic life necessities, such as food and emergency financial assistance to prevent homelessness. The leadership shown by Rose Chapman, Phil Gorelick, and the staff of JFCS has transformed services in Sarasota. JFCS has maximized its contributions to the community by supplementing your staff with over 450 volunteers that provided more than 7,500 service hours. The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse is proud to recognize Jewish Family and Children’s Service of the Suncoast (JFCS) with the Shining Stars Community Leadership Award.


Student Shining Stars:

High School: Charles “Joey” Arnold, Sarasota High School

Joey is a senior at Sarasota High School. Joey’s mother died on July 1, 2015 due to an opioid drug overdose. The death of my mother changed my life drastically. Joey ended up becoming homeless. A long two weeks went by of skipping from friend’s house to friend’s house until my elderly great grandmother took me in. Joey has used these tragic experiences as motivation to change his life in positive ways. He joined Drug Free Youth. I then began to work extremely hard on my academics. His grades showed dramatic increases and he raised his ACT scores. Joey’s community service includes working with kids at the Boys and Girls Club, aiding and teaching athletes the game of baseball at Cal Ripken, and support of the Breast Cancer run. Joey is an athlete and played two years of varsity baseball at SHS. In Joey’s final words to his mother he promised that “I was going to be successful and get a college degree”. Joey has been offered admittance to several colleges and universities including an offer to attend his dream school, Florida State University. The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse is proud to recognize Joey as the Shining Stars High School Student of the year.

Middle School: Jakobie Green, Booker Middle School

Jakobie Green is an eighth-grade student at Booker Middle School. Jakobie is the Student Council President, Web Leader, School Store Manager, School Advisory Board student representative, active member of S.W.A.T. (Students Working Against To***co), and tutors elementary school students. Jakobie wrote in his essay about coming from a broken home destroyed by drugs. Drugs ironically shaped me into the person that I am. I know what I want to be, and I have chosen the right path. I now help the people in my community that want to be role models, but don’t have the guidance or strength to standup for themselves. For the past three years in middle school I have devoted much of my free time to helping with drug abuse awareness in my school and community. The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse is proud to recognize Jakobie as the Shining Stars Middle School Student of the year.

About the Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse
The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse has been a part of the efforts to combat substance abuse in Sarasota since 1999. SCoSA promotes substance-abuse-free environments through increased community awareness and advocacy. For 18 years SCoSA has promoted substance abuse prevention and education. During those years, Sarasota has accomplished amazing things. Results come from forming partnerships and collaborations. Community achievements include the CART initiative, VIP-ER, supporting expanded availability of Naloxone, anti-dote for opioid overdose, and passage of ordinances regulating pill mills and designer drugs. We all accomplish the most when we work together, and Coalition is in our name and our DNA.

Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse SCoSA, a non-profit organization that advocates for substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment an recovery in Sarasota County.

Congratulations to our Student Shining Star from Booker Middle School, Jakobie Green!

Congratulations to our Student Shining Star, Joey Arnold from Sarasota High School!!!!

Come join us at our 12th Annual Shining Stars Recognition and Awards Luncheon at Michaels on East. Where we will be honoring Sarasota’s own Citizen of the Year, Caroline Zucker​, Chair of the Sarasota County School Board. We will also recognize this years Shining Star students, Charles "Joey" Arnold from Sarasota High School and Jakobie Green from Booker Middle School. Our Community Leadership partners, Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Jewish Family and Children Services along with this years Drug Free Workplace, Evie's Restaurants of Sarasota. This event will feature a Nationally Known Keynote Speaker and Comedian, Les McCurdy of McCurdy's Comedy Theatre. For questions or more information please visit our website at www.SCoSA.org. We'll see you there!

We'd like to thank a few of our silent auction donors...
Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Opera, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Cha Cha Coconuts, Demetrio's Pizzeria, Gecko's Grill & Pub - Hillview, Hyatt Regency Sarasota, Left Coast Seafood Co., Pier 22 Restaurant - Patio - Ballroom, Sharky's On the Pier, Shore Diner Inc, On The Waterfront Cafe, Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Sarasota Florida, South Florida Museum, Suncoast Technical College, NUOVO Salon Group, The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Carribean Joe's, Contessa Jewels, Gorilla Kleen, Premier Designs - Mary Hughs, Photography by Sirintip, Scentsy, Scheele Jewlery, Nissan of Venice, Grasshopper's Tex Mex Restaurant, Trump National Resort, Dick Smothers, Simon's Restaurant, Mayor Willie Shaw, and Former Commissioner Carolyn Mason.

Stand by... MORE TO COME!!!

Florida smoking rates nearly cut in half | SNN TV SARASOTA COUNTY – Every year, the Florida Department of Health conducts the Florida Youth Survey. This year, they found smoking rates in the state, as well as the country, decreased. Florida saved $17.7 billion in health care costs because of this decrease. To***co Program manager at the Florida Dep...