Published in the Observer By Liz Ramos October 4, 2023
Lakewood Ranch nonprofit works to build housing for foster youth
Harbor58 plans to build six villas to provide temporary housing for individuals aging out of foster care.
Sarasota’s Lura Dorman has seen Harbor58, a nonprofit based out of Oasis Church in Lakewood Ranch, as a place where she can grow.
Once per month, Dorman goes to Harbor58, which works with individuals aging out of foster care, for classes on financial literacy. Dorman, who is 19, said the classes are helping her manage her money and prepare for her future.
Dorman also has been able to make connections and new friends with other participants and volunteers.
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Harbor 58 is a local non-profit organization helping kids who are aging out of the foster care system.
“A lot of them come from broken homes and they may not have the direction that other kids would have the access to,” says Tory Fredericks, who is a mentor at Harbor58.
He describes his role as being a big brother to the kid he is mentoring.
“After we have been interacting for the past couple of months, I can see the growth in him and the confidence that he has built,” Fredericks says.
But Harbor 58 is working to expand beyond their financial literacy and life-skills classes.
Organization president Missy Parmenter says they are in the process of building 12 housing units, which would provide transitional housing for 18 months with a safety net for the young adults before they live completely independently.
“These kids have been stuffed into group homes, they’ve been looked at as a statistic their whole life. We want to pause and take time to give them a quality program,” Parmenter says.
The housing will be rent-free, but the young adults will pay an adjustable program fee, with the last payment being equivalent to a shared month’s rent in the area with a roommate.
The organization is working on submitting their final plans for the villas to the county, and hopes to break ground shortly after they get approval.