A study of the needs of Sarasota County residents. 

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Led by the partnership of SCOPE, The Patterson Foundation, and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, this qualitative study of the community involved forums, interviews, surveys and focus groups.  The research revealed six themes integral to aging with dignity and independence.

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The ROLE (Re-energizing our Local Economy) Summit was a day‐long event held on October 3, 2008 at Gulfcoast Events and Conference Center in Sarasota, Florida. At the event, 175 participants, facilitators and organizers brainstormed ideas focused on positively affecting our local economy.

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Many of the Re-energizing Our Local Economy (ROLE) Summit attendees, along with others concerned about our local economy, reconvened on January 14, 2009. For two hours, over 60 people discussed how to improve our local economy given the challenges we currently face. 

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The report provides few answers to the challenges we face regarding race and cultural relations. Rather, it attempts to heighten our understanding of this community and the challenges we have to overcome. 

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This study considers how our community can improve the quality of life and further the creation of a “sense of place” for existing developed areas within Sarasota County in a manner that fulfills the vision of neighborhoods and the vision of the greater community. 

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This study considers how our community can respond effectively to incidents of family violence and prevent future incidents from occurring.

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This study provides an overview of the range of mental health services and service needs in this community, focusing on major barriers and gaps in care. 

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This study considers what the community can do to increase the proportion of Sarasota County youth who complete their high school education, either traditional high school or an alternative, that supports their goals. 

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This study explores how the efforts of private interests, local government and nonprofit organizations can be maximized to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing, either owned or rented, for the residents of Sarasota County.

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The purpose of this study is to determine what steps our community can take to improve traffic flow and minimize traffic congestion.

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The third meeting of the Summit for Environmental Action Implementation Committees was held on November 10, 2008.  For two hours, almost 50 people discussed improving our local environment, met new community members and learned from each other.  This report is a chronicle of that meeting and a tool for Implementation Committee members and the wider community to learn and get connected to the issues and the committee members.

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When SCOPE started to bring the community together around the topic of “aging” we were not sure what direction it would take. In fact, the only sure thing was that our demographics cried out for attention. If you are reading this report you are probably aware of at least some of those demographics. The report gets into it in detail but it is clear that Sarasota County is different from any other place in the country.