VENICE, Fla.—The MITER Foundation recently partnered with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System to give back to 16 families this holiday season through their Women and Children Holiday Event.

First 1,000 Days Suncoast and the Pregnancy Care Team at Sarasota Memorial, both programs that assist young families with resources and gaining access to healthcare, identified 16 families in the Venice area who are struggling with basic resources, let alone Christmas presents for their children. The families provided their needs and holiday wish lists to the team. Sarasota Memorial and the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation also collected donations of wrapping supplies and gift bags and provided food for the event. The MITER Foundation was tasked with purchasing gifts for the families and creating meaningful experiences during the event.

Eleven team members from the MITER Foundation gathered at the SMH-Venice Campus on Friday, December 5, to wrap gifts, decorate the party rooms, and ensure everything was ready for the festivities on Saturday.

The following day, the families enjoyed a variety of holiday activities, including decorating cookies, creating crafts, taking pictures with Santa, distributing gifts, and enjoying a food spread. Of the 16 families, 24 children were over the age of one, and seven children were under the age of one, with two of the mothers expecting in February 2026.

“Our goal is to not only spread some holiday cheer but to build a model of support that lasts,” said Abby Olsen, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Director of Women and Children’s Services. “These families are all followed by navigators in either the First 1,000 Days Suncoast or Pregnancy Care Team, so they don’t have to face these challenges alone. I know I can speak for all our navigators in saying thank you to the MITER Foundation for the life-changing holiday season these families will have this year.”

Throughout the event, MITER Foundation team members mingled with guests and helped keep the atmosphere fun and merry. Afterwards, the team helped the families take their gifts to their cars and provided them with meals to take home.

“Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation is deeply grateful for the MITER Foundation’s ongoing partnership and commitment to our community,” said Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation President Stacey Corley. “The gifts from this event will not only bring joy to dozens of local children but will also ease the financial burdens many families face during the holiday season. This is just one of the many ways MITER Foundation and PGT employees show up to support their neighbors.”

Since the MITER Foundation’s inception in 2015, the organization has expanded from helping local charities to a nationwide presence, partnering with organizations to drive the MITER Brands people-first culture in communities throughout the country.

Through the help of its team members, the foundation has donated food to and volunteered at local food banks, provided windows and doors at no cost for adaptable housing constructed for veterans, volunteered with local children’s hospitals, and provided ongoing financial support to children’s cancer research, among other initiatives.

“Giving back is at the heart of what we do,” said Katie Fegan, MITER Brands Project Marketing Manager. “We’re always doing our part to improve the quality of life for kids and their families in any way we can. We were honored to spend time with these families, sharing a little joy and reminding them that their community is here for them. Creating a worry-free holiday moment is the least we can do for families who are already carrying so much.”