A Sweet Friend Indeed: Help for Kids Who Need it Most

Pictured: Asianna Lotito, center with board members Lisa Davis and Samantha Ghezelbash, founded The Sweet Friend, which provides school supplies, clothing, popsicles, and more for local students. Courtesy of The Sweet Friend Foundation

For some kids at Mount Vernon Elementary, the popsicles they receive for free each month are the only sweet treat they can count on. But popsicles don’t grow on trees. The popsicles, and the mountains of donated bookbags, school supplies, and even seasonal pumpkins, come from The Sweet Friend Foundation, a nonprofit founded by St. Petersburg resident Asianna Lotito.

“It’s a labor of love,” says Lotito. Mount Vernon Elementary in St. Petersburg serves a student population with high need. It’s where Lotito first began volunteering and remains the cornerstone of her work.

“I saw a need with Mount Vernon Elementary. Ninety percent of the kids are on free or reduced lunch,” Lotito said. “You have a lot of kids sitting out of field trips. They don’t always have fresh clothes. There’s a lot of teachers spending their own money.”

The school is minutes away from St. Petersburg’s more expensive neighborhoods, but it’s in a different world. With different needs. 

That need is what drove Lotito to launch The Sweet Friend Foundation in 2023. She had been volunteering with Meals on Wheels for Kids, where she connected with students and saw firsthand how much difference a small gesture could make.

“I started around the pandemic,” Lotito said, “and I found myself wanting to give my time with children and really do something to help them.”

Community-Rooted, Donation-Fueled

The Sweet Friend Foundation partners with local businesses and relies on community donations to deliver joy and essentials. From back-to-school supplies and new clothes to fall pumpkin patches and Kona Ice Fridays, the foundation ensures kids get both the basics and moments of delight.

Despite its impact, the foundation isn’t run out of a big office. It’s run by Lotito who was raised by a single mom in Long Island. She remembers what it felt like to sit out of field trips.

“It takes a village,” Lotito said. “Some of the parents are not involved and it’s not the kid’s fault, whether it’s situational, addiction, illness, work, it’s just not the kid’s fault and we want to bring some fun that they do not have to worry about.”

A School Partner Speaks

No one sees the difference more than Jacequine Sanders, family community liaison at Mount Vernon Elementary, who launched the school’s food pantry two years ago.

“My task was to get it up and running and have a space to safely distribute food, and we have since 2023,” Sanders said. “It’s like a unicorn. We’ve had to pivot to demands and provide more products like toothpaste and sanitary goods.” She calls the partnership with The Sweet Friend Foundation “phenomenal.”

“They came in with 200 backpacks, and that’s just backpacks,” Sanders said. The Kona Ice and popsicle day on the first Friday of each month she says is especially memorable. “Kids know they can rely on this day to forget it all and have a sweet treat, no forms required.”

The foundation is looking to add more schools to the Kona Ice Day list soon. 

While the drives every year are a given, The Sweet Friend Foundation helps with anything else they can. At Mount Vernon, the school received a grant to build a sandbox for the kindergarteners, which was great – except for the fact that the grant did not include the overhead enclosure needed to keep the sandbox protected. It was $400. 

“They came to us directly,” Loltito said, “and we got them that.” 

One challenge: Florida law prohibits the foundation from giving money directly to families. They have to get creative. So, when a summer-school program needed to get their kids bikes so they could make it to the facilities, creative they got. And persuasive.  

“We went to ABC Bikes and said, ‘This is what’s happening,’ and they were able to provide those bikes,” Loltito said.

Next Up: Pumpkins

Even fall pumpkins, something many families can’t prioritize, are made possible by the foundation’s annual pumpkin drive and free patch.

“If you don’t have $20, even $1 is helpful to fill this need,” Lotito said. The dates are pending, but every year kids show up ready for their pumpkin and ready to get carving. 

“My mother was a teacher, and we didn’t qualify for government assistance. But it’s not enough, and it’s not enough for a lot of these families,” Loltito said. “We want to bring the fun, bring the things they want and need to be kids.”

How to Help

Lotito encourages locals to get involved with kids in need, whether through volunteering in Pinellas schools or donating to keep Sweet Friend events going. Businesses can run drives, sponsor events, or simply spread the word. Loltito said she’s always looking for businesses who are willing to open their doors and host a donation drive as the drop-off point. 

“If you have time to spare, please reach out to your local school to get vetted and begin volunteering,” Lotito said.

Learn more at sweetfriendfoundation.org.