Newcomers' Guide 2016
Join the Club and Get Involved With These Organizations
Meet friends and support the community by getting involved with these groups.

When you’re new to town, it helps to find like-minded neighbors and friends. Here’s a partial list of some organizations where you might find them.
Foundations
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, a foundation that provides innovative community leadership by encouraging permanent charitable giving, cfsarasota.org, (941) 955-3000
Gulf Coast Community Foundation, a foundation that, together with its donors, works to transform the region through bold and provocative philanthropy, gulfcoastcf.org, (941) 486-4600
Civic, Nonprofit, Athletic and Service Groups
American Legion No-Vel Post 159, novelpost159.org, (941) 488-1157
Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, sarasotaarts.org, (941) 365-5118
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast, bbbssun.org, (941) 488-4009
Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, Inc., bgcsarasota.org, (941) 366-3911
Easter Seals Southwest Florida, easterseals-swfl.org, (941) 355-7637
Friends of Jacaranda Public Library, friendsofjacarandalibrary.org, (941) 861-1283
Friends of Venice Public Library, venicefriends.org
Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota County, habitatsouthsarasota.org, (941) 493-6606
Historic Spanish Point-Gulf Coast Heritage Association. Dedicated to a 30-acre museum and environmental site in Osprey. historicspanishpoint.org, (941) 966-5214
InStride Therapy, Inc. Nonprofit partners horses with individuals with special needs. instridetherapy.org, (941) 412-9333
Italian American Club of Venice, italianamericanclubofvenice.org, (941) 486-1492
Kiwanis Club of Venice, floridakiwanis.com/clubview2015.asp?club=Venice
Laurel Civic Association, laurelcivic.org, (941) 483-3338
Literacy Volunteers of South Sarasota County, literacy changeslives.org, (941) 488-8994
Loveland Center. Provides education and a variety of human health services for individuals with disabilities. lovelandcenter.org, (941) 493-0016
Sarasota County Croquet Club, sarasotacountycroquet.com, (941) 882-0840
Sarasota Scullers, sarasotascullers.org, (941) 966-2244
Senior Friendship Centers. Provides social events, adult daycare and low-income health care services for people 50 and over. friendshipcenters.org, (941) 493-3065
Sertoma Club of Venice, venicesertoma.com
South County Tiger Bay. A nonpartisan organization with professional men and women who have an interest in politics, local education, and county and municipal government. sctigerbay.com
Special Athlete Boosters, specialolympicsflorida.org/sarasota, (941) 412-0402
St. Francis Animal Rescue of Venice, stfrancisarfl.org, (941) 492-6200
Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County. Mentoring program that offers disadvantaged students college scholarships, caring volunteer mentors and hope for a better life. takestocksarasota.org, (941) 358-4407
United Way of South Sarasota County, uwssc.org, (941) 484-4811
Venice Area Beautification, Inc. Dedicated to beautifying the city and the Venetian Waterway Park. vabi.org, (941) 207-8224
Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, venicechamber.com, (941) 488-2236
Venice Area Mobile Meals, Inc., veniceareamobilemeals.com, (941) 488-1889
Venice Area Orchid Society, vaos.org
Venice Cat Coalition, venicecatcoalition.com, (941) 525-4568
Venice Christmas Boat Parade, venicechristmasboatparade.com
Venice Florida Moose Lodge, venicefloridamoose.com, (941) 485-7333
Venice Lions Club, venicelionsclub.com, (941) 486-6065
Venice MainStreet. Organization that enhances quality of life in the community by preserving, protecting and promoting historic downtown Venice. visitvenicefl.org, (941) 484-6722
Venice Musicale, venicemusicale.org
Venice Newcomers Club, venice-newcomers.org
Venice Nokomis Rotary Club, venicenokomisrotary.org
Venice Vikings youth football and cheerleading, venicevikings.com
Venice Youth Boating Association, veniceyouthboating.com, (941) 468-1719
VFW, venicevfw.com, (941) 484-8118
Women’s Resource Center of Sarasota County. Provides support to women, entrepreneurs, employees and retirees on a journey to a career change. thewomensresourcecenter.org, (941) 485-9724
Women’s Sertoma Club of Venice, womenssertoma.com, (941) 416-3132