Thrive
Your daily dose of levity: Hope you can eat, courtesy of Feeding Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg Foundation, St. Pete Rising
Every day, we’re sharing what we’re reading, watching, doing and listening to … the things that bring levity to our own lives. We’ll also share random things we’re talking about, laughing about and smiling about on social media, in pop culture and beyond. We encourage you to share your daily sources of levity with us in the comments or on social media.
Today…
Today’s edition is all about food. There are so many local organizations doing incredible work providing food to Tampa Bay residents in need, first responders and the healthcare heroes we love.
Yesterday the Food Truck Convoy joined The Network to End Hunger and became a partner in Pinellas County’s effort to…
Posted by Dru Rabin on Tuesday, March 31, 2020
First, The St. Petersburg Foundation Jobs Catalyst program is putting service employees to work in a variety of positions, including what they do best – feeding people. The program hired food truck owners, food service workers and chefs to deliver meals to neighborhoods in need. To date, over 2,400 meals have been delivered to Jordan Park.
The food truck workers, who have rallied together as Food Truck Convoy, have been paid for their work through the St. Petersburg Foundation’s COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund, supported by a $20,000 matching donation from Feeding Tampa Bay.
In addition to the work created in food assistance, the St. Petersburg Foundation has also hired for other area nonprofits through its Jobs Catalyst Board.
You can contribute to the Jobs Catalyst program and have your gift matched by Feeding Tampa Bay here: https://stpete.foundation/match/feedtb
Over 100 meals delivered to All Children’s Hospital yesterday! 🙌 These meals went to the Emergency Center, Transport…
Posted by St. Pete Rising on Sunday, April 5, 2020
St. Pete Rising has raised more than $40,000 in an effort to both support local restaurants and feed frontline healthcare workers.
St. Pete Rising teamed up with the EDGE Guide to launch a fundraiser to provide meals to healthcare workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis by supporting local restaurants.
The fundraiser, St. Pete Meals, has raised $40,000 from more than 400 individuals and organizations and delivered over 1,000 meals. Brian Zucker, Co-owner and writer fo St. Pete Rising, says there’s more to come in upcoming weeks.
“We’re providing meals seven days a week to healthcare workers across St. Petersburg and Pinellas County,” says Brian Zucker, Co-Owner and Writer of St. Pete Rising, “From hospitals like St. Anthony’s and All Children’s to urgent care centers like BayCare Urgent Care in Carillon, it’s vital we support our healthcare workers during the coronavirus crisis.”
Local restaurants like Poppo’s Taqueria, Lonni’s Sandwiches, Dr. BBQ, Pacific Counter, and many others have stepped up to make the meals. Still other local bakeries and food trucks like Wandering Whisk Bakeshop, Grateful Bakes, and Pop Goes the Waffle, have provided dessert. Local coffee and kombucha brewers MADE Coffee and Mother Kombucha have teamed up to provide beverages.
Other organizations have stepped up on the funding side, St. Pete Downtown Neighborhood Association, Ashe Couture Boutique, Bank OZK and several others have provided full days of meals to healthcare workers.
Meals are delivered to healthcare professionals with CDC recommendations in mind and are delivered with permission from each facility. Each meal is delivered with a note that reads: “Thank you for your hard work during these difficult times. Please enjoy a meal on us. We have your back.”
To help St. Pete Rising continue delivering meals to frontline workers, you can donate to St. Pete Rising’s fundraiser here: StPeteMeals.com
At Feeding Tampa Bay we welcome Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen and their family to our community and thank them as they…
Posted by Feeding Tampa Bay on Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Posted by Feeding Tampa Bay on Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Feeding Tampa Bay has ramped up its services nearly overnight in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the serious consequences that mitigation efforts such as closing schools and shuttering businesses have on food security.
Feeding Tampa Bay now serves 40 percent more individuals and families than ever before. It has deployed mass food distributions in five counties to fill the gap for families facing unemployment. Feeding Tampa Bay also provides 2,600 meals to children each day in four counties of the Tampa Bay area, and has ramped up its production at its Trinity Café restaurants to provide 10,000 to-go meals each week.
In more good news, brand new Tampa Bay Buccaneer Tom Brady, wife Gisele Bündchen and their family #StandwithFTB, providing 750,000 meals. And, as part of a $2 million investment in urgent health and safety needs across Florida, Florida Blue donated 500,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay.
You can deliver to Feeding Tampa Bay’s efforts here: https://donate.feedingtampabay.org/give/276581/
