Tampa Bay Wave is launching the Rising Tide Relief Fund for technology startups that are members of Wave and struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic. The goal is to offer short-term, near-zero interest loans for quick cash infusions with minimal paperwork, Wave said. The loans are intended to help the businesses retain and pay their employees, stay current on their rent, and cover other fixed costs while they await state and federal funding. The loans will be made available on a rolling basis until funds are depleted. Applicants must be current members of Tampa Bay Wave and be headquartered in the Tampa Bay region, or relocating its headquarters by end of the year. Additional criteria and a link to make a donation is here. Tampa Bay Wave, based in downtown Tampa, is a nonprofit that houses and services young and growing technology companies.
The Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have donated $100,000 to the City's Fighting Chance Fund, which provides grants to help locally owned and independently operated small businesses that hav been hurt by Covid-19 orders. The fund "provides the critical resources that so many small business owners in the area need at a time like this," said Darcy Glazer Kassewitz, co-owner of the Bucs. The Glazer's gift is the third six-figure donation that's been announced publicly, following $100,000 donations from the Vinik Family Foundation and the Milkey Family Foundation. About $6.8 million in city funds was used to pay for the first phase of the fund, and the city has been soliciting contributions for future grants. Eligibility requirements and application information can be found here. To contribute, click here.
The city of Tampa has established the One Tampa Relief Now, Rise Together Fund to provide financial relief to eligible small businesses, families, and individuals negatively impacted by local Covid-19 orders. The relief program is an emergency grant focused on the most basic needs — rent and essential utilities, the city said in a news release. The program will provide direct payments for up to one month’s rent or mortgage plus one or more essential utility costs — water, gas, electric. Payments will be remitted directly to landlords, mortgagors, or to TECO, the city said. Click here for details about eligibility and other program information. The Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have each made $100,000 contributions to the fund, Mayor Jane Castor said in announcing the fund.
Suncoast Credit Union, the largest credit union in Florida and one of the largest in the United States, will contribute 500,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay. The donation will be matched by the Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund, for a total of 1 million meals to be offered to those affected by the current Covi-19 crisis. Among those receiving meals are children who are out of school with little to no access to school meals or after-school meals, seniors and others who are at greatest risk and cannot safely secure their food needs, and families who are experiencing higher expenses and unemployment or lower wages who would not normally need food services. Additionally, to help its 884,000 members, Tampa-based Suncoast Credit Union waived fees at non-Suncoast ATMs and allowed CD early withdrawal, credit card skip-a-payment and emergency lifeline loans, among other measures.
USF Federal Credit Union donated meals to Tampa General Hospital's frontline staff to thank the staff for its work keeping the Tampa Bay area safe by battling the spread of coronavirus. Three hundred healthy meals were prepared and delivered by Harvest Bowl Eatery & Market of Seminole Heights. "It is our privilege to be able to provide a comforting meal to the doctors, nurses and staff who are working around the clock amidst this COVID-19 outbreak," Richard Skaggs, USF FCU president and CEO, said in a news release. "The work they're doing is vitally important and we appreciate all those who are our frontline defense during this pandemic." Tampa General Hospital is a select employee group for the credit union and hospital employees and their families are eligible to join USF FCU.
Westfield shopping centers in Tampa Bay have launched #WestfieldCares, a program to highlight organizations and the charitable work they are doing to confront the effect the Covid-19 pandemic is having on vulnerable populations. Among the organizations Westfield is working with are Feeding Tampa Bay, Hillsborough Education Foundation, AdventHealth Brandon, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and Pinellas County Regional 9-1-1 Center. Organizations that want to participate can email brandon@urw.com, citruspark@urw.com, countryside@urw.com or WestfieldCares@urw.com.
The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas is partnering with local restaurants to safely serve seniors meals at home while also supporting the local economy during the Covid-19 pandemic. The initiative, "Dining Out at Home," is part of a statewide effort championed by the Department of Elder Affairs, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. AAAPP and its nutrition providers, Pasco County Nutrition and Neighborly Care Network, will contract directly with local restaurants to provide home-delivered meals to local seniors in need. The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas is a non-profit organization that serves seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Applications for St. Petersburg's new Fighting Chance Fund are available online starting today. The $6.8 million fund is designed to provide relief to small businesses and workers impacted by local Covid-19 orders. It offers $5,000 grants for independently-owned and operated small businesses — restaurants, bars, retail and service businesses physically located in St. Petersburg, at least 50 percent owned by St. Pete residents, and with 25 or fewer workers. It also offers $500 grants to St. Pete residents who were terminated, furloughed or whose salary has been reduced at least 50 percent from an eligible business. For more details and to apply, click here.
Real estate developer Eddie DeBartolo and his wife, Candy, have donated $2.5 million to Tampa General Hospital to help treat patients diagnosed with infectious diseases including Covid-19. The funds will be used to develop a Covid-19 unit that would provide a dedicated area to diagnose and treat community members, a news release said. The donation will help pay for the construction and equipment, including necessary negative pressure isolation rooms and ventilators. A timeline for opening has not yet been set. The family also donated $150,000 to the TGH Team Member Emergency Fund, a fund designated to help team members in crisis who cannot afford to pay bills such as mortgage or rent, utilities or car payments due to the inability to work. The latest gifts follow a $5 million donation in December in honor of Dr. Thomas Bernasek, an orthopedic surgeon on staff at TGH. DeBartolo is founder and CEO of DeBartolo Holdings and is No. 319 on the Forbes 400, a list of wealthiest Americans.
Tampa philanthropist Mary T. Pipino has made a $25,000 gift to USF Health to support its research efforts and fight the coronavirus pandemic. Pipino'sgift will establish the USF Health Pandemic Research & Response Fund, which will support the immediate and long-term needs to prevent, treat and train for a pandemic response, a news release said. As of Friday morning, 133 donors had raised almost $50,000 for the fund. To donate, click here. Pipino is an executive vice president and president of real estate risk management for Beecher Carlson Insurance Services, LLC, a large account risk management company. She's also an alumna of University of South Florida.
Creative Pinellas, one of the local umbrella organizations responsible for the Pinellas Arts Community Relief Fund, is conducting a survey to gauge the severity of the current situation on the arts community and its impact on the local economy. In Pinellas County, according to the survey, 3.5% of the workforce is a member of a creative industry. "If you are an artist, arts organization or arts-related business that’s been financially impacted by the Covid-19 virus, we want to hear from you," Creative Pinellas said in a news release. "This information can be shared with government and civic leaders on the best ways to protecting the financial health of the county’s arts community." The survey is here.
An order by the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners Thursday closed all playgrounds and public exercise/fitness zones.
