Sweet Friend Foundation Pinellas County
We show up because we know what it feels like to need someone to
Supporting students, uplifting teachers, and strengthening our community one act of kindness at a time.
A message from Asianna
Every child deserves to feel like they belong at school
That belief is what every program, every donation drive, and every early morning spent in a Pinellas County classroom. Sweet Friend Foundation is growing, and the community that makes this work possible is growing with it. If you've ever wanted to make a direct, visible difference in a child's school day, this is your invitation.
Your Friend,
Asianna Lotito
Founder, Sweet Friend Foundation
About Sweet Friend Foundation
Sweet Friend Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving public school students and teachers in Pinellas County, Florida. Founded in 2023 by Asianna Lotito, the foundation designs and delivers programs based on firsthand experience inside local schools, connecting community resources directly to the students and educators who need them most. What started with one school has grown to serve more than ten schools and counting.
How Sweet Friend Foundation started
Sweet Friend Foundation was born from a simple act: asking the community to show up. And they did.
In 2023, after years of volunteering inside Pinellas County schools and seeing the same unmet needs week after week, founder Asianna Lotito turned that firsthand knowledge into action. What started with one school has grown to serve more than ten, with programs built entirely around what students and teachers actually need. The foundation's growth has been driven by the community it serves, and that's exactly how Asianna always imagined it.
Meet the Sweet Friend Team
Asianna Lotito
Founder
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Asianna’s passion for helping others is in her blood. Despite time and resource constraints, Asianna’s hardworking single mother of twins had the family volunteering regularly for local charities and homeless shelters.
As an adult, Asianna has carried on this giving spirit with her volunteer work and fundraising for Meals on Wheels. While there, she also volunteered for the Pinellas County School District’s Lunch Pal program. This inspired Asianna to raise funds to take the entire elementary school, all expenses paid, to a Rays baseball game - an experience many of these children had never had before. This work earned her the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award in 2023 from a pool of 30,000 volunteers.
Currently, Asianna serves as a community member of the School Advisory Council (SAC) in Pinellas County, where she has input into school improvement plans and annual school budgets.
Out of all of this, the Sweet Friend Foundation was born with a dream to enable students to develop social and emotional intelligence through shared positive experiences. Asianna wants to turn that dream into a reality by being a sweet friend to Pinellas County Schools.
Andrea Farnum
Treasurer, Board of Directors
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Andrea has over thirty years of experience as a caterer, event planner, and food writer, and has spent the majority of her career specializing in the design, execution, and strategic marketing of corporate, not-for-profit, and celebrity-driven events, as well as producing unique social events and weddings.
After ten years in St. Petersburg, Florida, Andrea now resides in Portland, Oregon. Andrea brings her years of experience with the non-profit event world and her strong desire to make a difference in our world to her work at Sweet Friend.
Samantha Ghezelbash
Secretary, Board of Directors
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Samantha has spent the last 10 years advocating on behalf of employees who face discrimination in the federal government.
Before moving to St. Petersburg, FL, Samantha grew up in West Virginia, where she saw firsthand the positive impacts of the public school system in her hometown, as well as the impact that shortages of resources available to all children in her community can have on a child's development and future success.
Even more impactful was the birth of her two children in 2021 and 2022, which helped her to refocus on her passion for learning about the strengths and weaknesses of the resources afforded to the education of children in St. Petersburg and the school systems in the Pinellas County area.
Samantha brings her desire to provide every child in Pinellas County the safety of knowing they are part of a community that includes and cares about them, regardless of socioeconomic status, color, ethnicity, gender, or disability.
Why Sweet Friend Foundation
Truly local and hands-on
Sweet Friend operates exclusively in Pinellas County. The team volunteers on their own time, attends PTA meetings, and builds real relationships with teachers, social workers, and community liaisons. They know which students need help because they know the schools.
You see exactly where your money goes
Donors don't have to wonder. Every program is tied to a specific, visible need. Sponsors and supporters are invited to attend events and witness the impact their generosity creates in real time.
Programs built from real needs
Sweet Friend doesn't design programs from a boardroom. Every initiative exists because a teacher asked, a child went without, or a gap was spotted during a weekly school visit. The programs are the direct result of being present.
Our Mission
Bringing the community together to enhance the experience of children and teachers in Pinellas County Public Schools.
Our Values
Belonging
Every child deserves to feel included, seen, and valued at school. Sweet Friend designs programs that make sure no student has to sit on the sidelines because of what their family can or cannot afford.
Connection
Children grow best when they feel supported by the adults around them. Sweet Friend builds bridges between community members and the schools they share, turning generosity into relationships that last.
Dignity
A child who picks out their own backpack, their own pumpkin, or their own birthday gift experiences something more than a donation. They experience being thought of. Sweet Friend is committed to delivering support in ways that honor that.
Helping students feel included and empowered
Ready to be a sweet friend to Pinellas County Schools?
Every donation stays local, goes directly to programs that benefit the schools, and makes a real difference for a real child. Donations to Sweet Friend Foundation are tax-deductible.