Outreach Support Services

Scholarship Committee

Each year the Longboat Island Chapel awards college scholarships to recipients who apply and are interviewed by the Scholarship Committee, comprised of several church members and the pastor, according to the guidelines of the Harry and Anne Ferries Scholarship Fund.

Scholarships are funded to qualified high school seniors and previously enrolled college students from Manatee and Sarasota counties who have been accepted into a college or university. 

Migrant Tea Program

Women of the Longboat Island Chapel participate in the Church Women United project to collect new clothing, blankets, shoes, and diapers for children of local migrant workers. These gifts are presented during their annual Migrant Tea event. Children from the headstart program and a high school student or adult who has benefited from this program are also part of this Migrant Tea. Church Women United is comprised of churches in the Manatee County area and is part of their outreach service. 

Community Outreach

The Chapel, in keeping with its values of love and service, endeavors to make a difference in the local community. The outreach can be in the form of cash contributions as well as countless volunteer hours. The Chapel conducts Weekly Food Collections for Foodbanks and Monthly Clothing and Necessity Collections for Local Services.

Our most active ministry partners are:

• Turning Points (https://tpmanatee.org/) – We work with them weekly
• Paradise Center for Healthy Living (https://theparadisecenter.org/)   (This began as a ministry of the Chapel)
• Regular Blood Drives, SunCoast Blood Centers (https://suncoastblood.org/)
• Agape Flights (https://www.agapeflights.com/)
• Stillpoint Missions (https://stillpointmission.org/)
• Our Daily Bread of Bradenton (https://www.ourdailybreadofbradenton.org/)
• Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee (https://mealsonwheelsplus.org/)
• Salvation Army of Bradenton (https://salvationarmyflorida.org/homeless-services-for-manatee-county/)
• Habitat for Humanity Restore (https://manateehabitatrestore.com/)

The Chapel makes a difference with many organizations such as:

• Agape Flights:  aviation ministry transporting supplies to missionaries and disaster sites
• All Faiths Food Bank:  food pantry
• Come to the Well:  wellness/fellowship/spiritual support
• Feeding Empty Little Tummies (F.E.L.T.):  food service for children
• Harvest House/Tabernacle:  emergency housing/drug treatment for adults
• Hope Family Services:  rape crisis/domestic violence safe place
• Hope Seeds:  providing quality seeds for a hungry world
• International Disaster Relief
• Jim Russo Prison Ministry:  residence program to reintegrate those on probation into society
• Learn to Fish:  residence program for victims of human trafficking
• Meals on Wheels:  Sarasota and Manatee Counties
• Migrant Tea:  support for migrant workers families
• Mt. Carmel Resource Center:  food, education, job preparation, English classes for the homeless and needy
• Our Daily Bread:  provide nutritional needs for poor and needy
• Project Light:  teaches English and cultural competence
• Resurrection House:  homeless services – laundry, medical, bicycles, personal ID
• Riverview High School Foundation (CYESIS):  supplies for babies as single mothers and fathers attend high school classes
• Roots of Manatee County:  summer program for children to experience all forms of the arts
• Scholarship Fund:  awarded by the Longboat Island Chapel’s Scholarship Committee
• Selah Freedom:  programs fighting human trafficking
• SMART:  therapeutic horsemanship program
• Soles for Little Souls:  shoes for children
• Southeast Guide Dogs:  Paws for Independence/ Paws for Patriots/ Gifted Canines
• SPARCC:  safe place and rape crisis center
• Stillpoint House of Prayer:  services for migrant and disadvantaged persons/Bible study/prayer groups/books for children/diapers for babies
• Teen Court of Sarasota, Inc.:  pre-arrest alternative to juvenile court. Peer determined sentences
• Turning Points:  services for the homeless in Manatee County

Share Your Time and Talents

• Preparing/Packaging or Distributing Food:  Meals at Meals on Wheels Plus  (941-747-4655), Meals on Wheels Sarasota (941-366-6693, Stillpoint House of Prayer (941-748-6835), or Our Daily Bread (941-745-2992)
• Clerical/Computer/Financial Work:  Meals on Wheels Plus (941-747-4655), Early Learning Coalition (941-954-4830), Turning Points (941-747-1509), or Stillpoint House of Prayer (941-748-6835)
• Delivering Meals:  Meals on Wheels Plus (Manatee 941-747-4655), or Meals on Wheels Sarasota (941-366-6693)
• Telephone Calling:  Longboat Island Chapel (941-383-6491)
• Folding Newsletters:  Longboat Island Chapel (941-383-6491)
• Cards in the Mail:  Longboat Island Chapel (941-383-6491)
• Hospital/Home Visits:  Longboat Island Chapel (941-383-6491)
• Prayer Shawls:  Longboat Island Chapel (941-383-6491)
• Youth Disaster Education (Pillowcase Project):  American Red Cross (941-379-9300)
• Rock, Hold, Sing, Talk to Babies:  Riverview H.S./CYESIS (941-927-9000 or 941-923-1484)
• Helping Children and Adults Read/Distribute Books:  Literacy Buddy Project (941-954-4830), Stillpoint House of Prayer (941-748-6835), or Project Light (941-745-1659)
• Packaging Seeds:  Hope Seeds (941-228-5660)
• Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Medical:  Turning Points (941-747-1509)
• Fundraising:  Turning Points (941-747-1509) or Mt. Carmel Resource Center (941-981-5354)
• Distributing Clothing:  Stillpoint House of Prayer (941-748-6835) or the Lord’s Warehouse (941-383-4738)
• Distributing Diapers:  Stillpoint House of Prayer (941-748-6835

Other Support Services

Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) meets at the Chapel and on Zoom on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Check the A.A. District 4 Sara-Mana Meetings schedule for the most current information.

 Al-anon meets at the Chapel and on Zoom on Sundays at 7:00 p.m. Check the Florida District 12 Al-Anon Family Groups (AFG) Meetings schedule for the most current information.