FRESH START CENTRAL OFFICE MANASOTA (SARASOTA/MANATEE) FLORIDA

Welcome All! You have accessed the new online home of FRESH START Social Service Agency, Inc.

FRESH START Social Service Agency, Inc. was created to help the homeless, needy, underprivileged and disadvantaged. We are based out of Sarasota and Manatee Counties Florida (Manasota).  We also have the capacity to provide our great and much needed services to all of the State of Florida and to potential clients throughout the entire nation of the USA if needed.

Our goal is to provide social services to all in need without prejuidice; no one is turned away.  The additional goal(s) are to hopefully provide services to the fullest in order to assist and help our Clients to return to society as viable and productive members!

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CLICK ON "DONATE" BUTTONS THROUGHOUT SITE OR "DONATE NOW" LINK ABOVE FOR INFO OR TO DONATE TO FRESH START! 

  DONATE TO FRESH START TODAY AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A FREE MUSIC/AUDIO CD! FRESH START IS A 501(C)(3), NON-PROFIT, TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION AND ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. CLICK ON THE "DONATE NOW" BUTTON IN THE ABOVE LEDGER TO LEARN MORE, OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE "DONATE BUTTONS" THROUGHOUT THIS WEBSITE TO DONATE TO FRESH START! 

WHAT WE DO

FRESH START helps the numerous homeless, needy, disadvantaged and underprivileged people thorughout the Manasota (Manatee/Sarasota Counties Florida), the State of Florida, and throughout the United States...no one is turned away!

Don't delay.  If you need our services, or are unsure of what services we provide or that you need please click on the "SERVICES" link which details and lays out the many services available that we provide.

Call us today at 941-479-4251 and talk to Garry, or email us at garry_777_2000@yahoo.com!

May God richly bless and keep you! 

 HOMELESSNESS EDUCATION 101

  MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THE HOMELESS, OR THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED IN MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES AND FORMS, ARE WORTHLESS AND CHOOSE TO LIVE THAT WAY. THIS MODE OF THINKING IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH. MANY NEGATIVE THINGS  HAPPEN TO THIS SECT OF POPULATION, WHETHER PAST OR PRESENT, TO LAND THEM WHERE THEY NOW ARE. AND YES, MANY OF THEM CHOOSE TO LIVE A WRECKLESS LIFE; HOWEVER, THERE ARE NUMEROUS ADVERSE SOCIAL FACTORS AND ILLS THAT CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS PEOPLE BECOMING HOMELESS AND IN DIRE NEED SUCH AS DISABILITY, SICKNESS, DRUG USE, DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOLISM, UNEMPLOYMENT, RECURRENT JAIL AND PRISON EPISODES, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MENTAL PROBLEMS, CHILDHOOD ABUSE OR MOLESTATION, AND ANY OTHER TRAUMA NOT LISTED IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL JUST COULDN'T COPE WITH THE TRAUMATIC EVENT THAT HAPPENED TO THEM AS A CHILD, TEENAGER, OR EVEN AS AN ADULT. THIS USUALLY RESULTS IN THE INDIVIDUAL MAKING THE WRONG CHOICES IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE TRAUMATIC EVENT RESULTING IN THEM BEING  CORRALED, GUIDED, OR FORCED TO CHOOSE THE WRONG PATH. IN MY ANALYSIS AND STUDY OF THIS SECT AND POPULATION, THE MAJORITY OF THEM, I WOULD SAY 90% OR MORE EXPERIENCED SOME TYPE OF TRAUMA AS A CHILD OR TEENAGER WHICH AFFECTED THEIR MIND AND PSYCHE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO COPE WITH LIFE IN GENERAL. I KNOW, MOST OF YOU WILL SAY, "WELL WHY ARE THERE MANY MORE THAT EXPERIENCE SUCH TRAUMA WHO GO ON TO LIVE A NORMAL LIFE?" TO YOU I SAY, NOT EVERYONE'S BUILT THE SAME, IS REARED THE SAME, OR CAN COPE WITH CERTAIN STRESSES AND TRAUMAS IN THE SAME WAY. IN CLOSING I WILL SAY, THINK BEFORE YOU JUDGE. YOU DON'T KNOW THAT PERSON OR WHAT THAT PERSON HAS BEEN THROUGH. AND LASTLY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK, IT COULD BE YOU THAT ENDS UP HOMELESS, DISPLACED, OR IN NEED, TRAUMA OR NO TRAUMA. IN OUR MODERN TIMES, WE HAVE UNPARALLED TECHNOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES, YET, WE TEETER ON THE BRINK OF OUR WORLD ECONOMY AND FINANCES CRASHING, ANNIHILATION OF THE HUMAN RACE AND THE ENTIRE PLANET THROUGH NUCLEAR WAR WHICH COULD DESTROY THE ENTIRE PLANET MANY TIMES OVER, AND NATURAL PHENOMENONS SUCH AS WEATHER, EARTHQUAKES, TSUNAMIS AND OTHER EVENTS WHICH COULD CHANGE OUR WAY OF LIFE IN AN INSTANT. ALL OF THESE EVENTS ARE TRAUMATIC WHEN THEY HAPPEN TO US, AND WHEN WE EXPERIENCE SUCH CATASTROPHIES AND TRAUMA, THE LAST THING WE WANT TO HEAR IS SOMEONE BLAMING US FOR WHAT HAPPENED. SO BE SYMPATHETIC TO THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED OR DISADVANTAGED, THINK BEFORE YOU JUDGE, AND HELP US, FRESH START, TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED. WE THANK YOU, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOU HELP, SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE! - GARRY B. COSTON -

GARRY B. COSTON

Chairman, Executive Director

20 Year U.S. Navy Retired, U.S. Navy Veteran, and Disabled Veteran

BIOGRAPHY

Garry B. Coston is no stranger to adversity, challenge, and hard times. Mr. Coston was born in Jacksonville, Florida on October 4th but would later be raised in the small North Florida Country Town of Jasper, Florida.  During his childhood, Mr. Coston also lived in Jacksonville, Fort Myers, and Sarasota Florida.  He would attend Sarasota High School in Sarasota, Florida but would not graduate. After High School Mr. Coston would join the United States Navy at the age of 17.  While in the Navy, Mr. Coston started at the very bottom of the rank and file and would charge his way up to the rank of E-7, mid-management level.  Throughout his Navy Career, Mr. Coston was blessed with numeorus awards, accolades, ribbons and medals which are testament of his superior pride, professionalism, and stellar service to the United States Navy and our Nation.  After 20 years of dedicated and faithful service, Mr. Coston would retire from the United States Navy, spend one year in Jacksonville Florida, and immediately move to the City of Fort Lauderdale in South Florida.  He would reside in Fort Lauderdale for almost 10 years up to 2004 holding various administrative and clerical management type jobs and other positions in the admin professional field. In 2001, while living in Fort Lauderdale and facing great adversity and social challenges, Mr. Coston would receive a call from God to help those in need.  In 2004 Mr. Coston moved from Fort Lauderdale back to his native Sarasota and obeying the call of God would start FRESH START.  Since that time FRESH START has helped numerous individuals with various social resource needs, and up through the present and hopefully on through the future will continue its excellent tradition of providing top notch, second to none social services to the many homeless, needy, underprivileged and disadvantaged people in Manasota (Sarasota and Manatee Counties) Florida, the State of Florida, and the USA.  We thank God for allowing us to provide this great service to those in need! Mr. Coston currently resides in Manasota (Manatee & Sarasota Counties Florida). His educational background includes training and edcuation in supervisory and management leadership while in the Navy, industrial management and psychology while in the Navy, field experience in management based on institutional evaluation while in the Navy, and holds a degree in Business Administration from American Intercontinental University.  Mr. Coston is currently not married.