If You See Them

Vicki Sokolik is the Founder and Executive Director of Start Right, Now (SRN), a pioneering, comprehensive program in two counties of Florida that provides social and health services to unhoused students who are not living with a parent or guardian and are not safeguarded by foster care. Sokolik has co-authored and amended legislation to pass ten bills protecting unaccompanied youth statewide. In acknowledgment of her work, she has been recognized by Lightning Community Heroes, Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders Program, and the Humana Communities Benefit Award. In 2019 she was recognized as a CNN Hero, an AARP Purpose Prize Fellow, and became a recipient of the Foundation for Improvement of Justice’ Paul H. Chapman Gold Medal. She has served on Florida’s Independent Living Services Advisory Council and Council of Homeless Board. SRN is the first and only nonprofit to win the WEDU Be More Award twice for Nonprofit of the Year, in 2012 and 2018. Florida Blue awarded SRN the 2021 Sapphire Award. In 2022, The American Psychiatric Association Foundation honored SRN with the Award for Advancing Minority Mental Health, and the Junior League of Tampa Bay awarded Vicki its 1926 Legacy Award.