Foundation for Dreams receives $100,000 grant from Bishop-Parker Foundation

By Lesley Dwyer
| 5:00 a.m. June 11, 2025

The cottage needs to be stripped. The $100,000 grant is just the start to getting it camper-ready.

East County
Neighbors

Elena Cassella, the executive director of the Foundation for Dreams, said she’s waiting for her hard hat to arrive.

Cassella still keeps a pen in hand to write grants, but she’s also overseeing a massive renovation of a 34-year-old campus next to Rye Preserve.

The two go hand-in-hand, as the foundation was just awarded $100,000 from the Bishop-Parker Foundation to go toward remodeling costs for one of the campus’ cottages.

The Foundation for Dreams runs Dream Oaks Camp, a summer and weekend camp for children with special needs. The program currently operates out of Camp Flying Eagle, which is owned by the Southwest Florida Boy Scouts.

Executive Director Elena Cassella and Office Manager Kayla White stand in the staff lounge.

The 62-acre campus on Rye Wilderness Trail is owned by Manatee County, which licensed it to the Foundation for Dreams through Dec. 31, 2033 with an option to renew for another 10-year term.

The new campus will allow the foundation to expand its services. Cassella is focused on getting the Dream Oaks Camp up and running right now, but said the foundation will be seeking new collaborations with organizations that have a similar mission to serve children and strengthen families.

Spring grant cycle

The Foundation for Dreams is just one of 30 local nonprofits to receive grants from the Bishop-Parker Foundation. The awards ranged from $20,000 for the Florida Studio Theatre’s Write a Play arts integration program to $3 million for the Manatee Performing Arts Center’s Sara’s Studio, a new facility that will be used for education.

The grants totaled $5,328,042, and two additional East County nonprofits made the list of recipients — The Twig Cares and The Haven.

The Twig Cares received $22,500 for its clothing boutique off of State Road 64 that serves children in foster care. Executive Director Nicole Britton said the grant will be especially helpful because a large chunk of it will cover the boutique’s overhead.

“It’s a lot easier to get people to hold collections for shoes than it is to get people to pay for our lights to be on and our rent to be paid,” she said.

The money will also fill gaps. For example, if the boutique is low on clothing or shoes in a particular size, they’ll have a cushion to purchase those items.

The Haven offers educational, vocational and residential programs to children and adults with disabilities. The nonprofit was awarded $30,000 that will go to support healthcare services for its adult clients.

The campus renovation is well underway. The camp director’s cottage is finished, so Devonte Ousley is already living onsite.

The administration building is nearing its finish line. The wifi isn’t hooked up yet, but the offices and commercial kitchen are move-in ready.

The learning center needs a few finishing touches and more furniture. The road through the campus is now paved with additional parking and accessible sidewalks to the buildings.

The cottages, however, are not so far along — two are under construction and the $100,000 is earmarked for the third, but Cassella said she needs upwards of $300,000 to finish it.

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It was the first cottage built on the prior Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches’ campus in 1991. Accordingly, it’s in the worst condition. It also has step-ups and step-downs, which are an added challenge when renovating to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The two cottages that are under construction had to be reconfigured, as well. The door frames and hallways are wider. The bathrooms will be larger with a Jack and Jill layout, and the bedrooms have cutout space so wheelchairs can easily turn around.

The commercial kitchen is ready to be stocked to serve campers.

The kitchens were ripped out to provide more open space, and each cottage will have a sensory room and activity areas.

A $50,000 grant from the Golisano Foundation will pay for the two sensory rooms, which will be used when campers become overstimulated.

Cassella noted that the Camp Flying Eagle campus doesn’t have activity space to accommodate inclement weather.

The Learning Center will be especially helpful on rainy days with four activity rooms. It also features an infirmary, nurse’s station, two accessible bathrooms and a staff lounge.

“It’s a game-changer for us,” Cassella said.

author

Lesley Dwyer

Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.