SPARCC finds families temporary homes at Sun-N-Fun Resort

When an inspection identified a termite problem at Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center several weeks ago, the shelter, which offers free services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, was faced with a dilemma. To treat the problem, the women and children staying at the shelter would need to be relocated while the area was fumigated.

“That’s our worst nightmare as a shelter,” said Olivia Thomas, executive director of the center. “Our main goal is to keep these people safe. Now we have to find somewhere else to put them.”

The problem, however, was more complicated than simply finding a place to house the families in the shelter.

“Safety is our No. 1 concern,” said Thomas. “Confidentiality is also really important. The problem was, where could we take these people where they would be safe, and where they would not have to give any names?”
In addition to safety and confidentiality concerns, SPARCC had to consider how many people would need to be relocated. The number of people in the shelter varies from day to day, and as an added challenge, recent months have seen record numbers of women and children utilizing the services.

“We’re trying to plan housing arrangements several weeks in advance, but we have no idea how many people we’re going to have,” said Thomas. “How can you plan for the unknown so far in advance?”

Thomas said SPARCC initially considered relocating the families to vacation housing, where they could be centrally located for meals, supervision and services, but that solution proved too costly.

“The extermination was already very expensive, and we were looking at thousands of dollars a night just to house these people,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know where we were going to get that kind of money.”

At the suggestion of her daughter, Thomas called Sun-N-Fun Vacation Resort on Fruitville Road, and she was in for a pleasant surprise. After explaining the situation and all the stipulations with which it would come, Sun-N-Fun offered its facilities free of charge.

“They do such great work with the women and children in the community who need a place to stay,” said Ginny Weir, holiday sales manager at the resort. “So, we offered our service as a donation to the organization. We wanted to help them out in their time of need. It’s our way to reach out to the community.”
What started as an overwhelming situation turned into a display of generosity. During their four-day stay at the resort, the approximately 20 people were welcomed, and the children were invited to participate in the center’s summer camp and other activities, including fishing and putt-putt. Each family was offered its own private unit and a chance to relax.

“The women were so excited to be staying somewhere so nice,” said Thomas. “These are women whose lives have been upturned. They were essentially given a vacation, which is something they would never have been able to do. It makes me feel good to see that there are nice people out there, who genuinely want to help.”

Thank you notes
The women who were offered housing at Sun-N-Fun Vacation Resort shared their families’ appreciation in letters to the company.

“We got the nicest letters from the women,” said Olivia Thomas, executive director of SPARCC. “They were so happy to have their own homes again. Each family had their own private unit, which is something a lot of us take for granted. One woman told me that this inspired her to do whatever it takes to get her own home again.”

SPARCC shared these excerpts from the letters with the Sarasota Observer:

“Thank you for having my family to stay at your beautiful facility. My girls and I had an unforgettable week playing and enjoying the pools and our wonderful cottage. During this difficult time in my life, staying here gave me happiness and a chance to relax.”

“Our experience at Sun-N-Fun was a wonderful and joyous time. Just those few days helped me and my children relax and be comfortable.”