VICTORIA BROWN AND DOLLAR DYNASTY ARE STILL SERVING IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC.
Victoria Brown is almost 82 but she clearly has no intention of stopping or slowing down, even in the face of the coronavirus pandemic that has forced so many of us to shelter in our homes.
As the founder and CEO of non-profit humanitarian organization, Dollar Dynasty, Victoria spends her days ensuring that service to her clients in Newtown and surrounding communities continues when the need for food, clothing and school supplies is more urgent and widespread than ever.
The crisis has forced a change in the way Dollar Dynasty distributes its food baskets, but it has had no effect whatsoever on the level of commitment Victoria brings to the effort. Rather than shut the doors in the face of growing need she immediately adopted safety procedures, including face masks, single entry access and sanitizing wipes to ensure that clients can pick up their food safely.
I’ve been volunteering at Dollar Dynasty for the past year but now I too am sheltering at home with my family. When I speak with Victoria, though, it is clear that she has mustered up even more courage and energy and is operating at double intensity to fill the incredible need out there. She excitedly called me to share that she would be starting the school supply program earlier than usual this year. I reminded her that schools are not in session and that it still is questionable whether they will be able to reopen in the fall. Her response?
“These students are studying at home and we need to make sure they have supplies there so they can do their work. So, instead of starting the program just before school opens, we are now going to offer school supplies every day, whenever they need them. We have to ensure they can do their work at home!”
– Victoria Brown, Dollar Dynasty Founder
And so, it goes. Despite the lack of volunteers because of the stay at home order and the disruption to her normal food supply, Victoria is out there every day, rounding up supplies and food. She often goes from store to store to buy groceries to supplement her usual food sources so that the 150 or so families that depend on her can continue receiving weekly healthy food boxes.
And now Dollar Dynasty, with no government funding, its work made possible solely through donations and volunteerism, relies on the generosity of Victoria and businesses and individuals in the Sarasota area. One major source of funding had been its annual fundraiser. The coronavirus has forced her to indefinitely postpone this year’s event, which had been scheduled in March.
Even with that blow to the budget and the significant drop in donations since the onset of the pandemic, some of Dollar Dynasty’s “donation angels” have surprised Victoria with unexpected generosity, such as Jacquelyn Jones and Evette Harper who delivered dozens of eggs just before Easter, allowing her to provide eggs for children to color in the Good Friday food baskets. The baskets also contained roasted chickens and bountiful supplies of vegetables, fruit and dry goods. These are the some of the same provisions that Dollar Dynasty has regularly provided to Newtown families in need since 2003 when Victoria established the agency.
We are in the year 2020 & “The Beat Still Goes On”. At times, Victoria sits more often than she stands but she keeps going and continues to help those in need. The number of clients and their needs continues to grow. And, because many of them do not have transportation, Dollar Dynasty is their only option when they need basic services. Victoria is laser focused on filling those needs, especially as this crisis looms with no end in sight. She means it when she emphatically declares,
“We never want to turn away clients during their time of need”.
She may be on the upside of 80 but Victoria clearly has no intention of stopping or even slowing down. Her enormous impact on Sarasota and its surrounding communities has been recognized by numerous organizations that have applauded her for her work providing critical humanitarian aid and community outreach programs to low- and fixed-income families. At this time of crisis for the many families living on the very edge of subsistence, her ongoing desire is to make sure that they can continue to count on Dollar Dynasty’s weekly food distributions. And with our help they can. Continue to be safe, all.
If you would like to make a donation, your generosity will be appreciated. Donations can be made to Dollar Dynasty, Inc. P.O. Box 5975, Sarasota, FL 34277. Dollar Dynasty also belongs to the Amazon Smile program. Register on Amazon and a portion of your purchase will be donated to Dollar Dynasty. If you want to drop off food donations or would like to volunteer, Dollar Dynasty is located at 1922 Dr. M.L. King, Jr. Way, Sarasota, FL. Our website is https://dollardynasty.org and phone is 941-955-8091
