ST. PETE STRONG
Kudos Shout-outs to some of the many ‘Burgers who have stepped up to the plate during the Time of COVID-19. This list is far from complete. But you know who you are. Be proud. Localshops1 founder and president Ester Venouziou is known for pouring her heart and soul into supporting entrepreneurs. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, she launched an online marketplace, buylocaltampabay. com, to connect residents with goods from local makers and small businesses. LocalShops1 maintains the website, but does not take any cuts or listing fees. All locally-owned businesses can list and sell on the marketplace for free. Her new initiative, dubbed the “MillionDollar Mission,” aims to generate $1 million in sales. Merch ranges from coffee, honey and specialty foods, to hand sanitizers and artist-designed handmade face masks, paintings, jewelry, soy candles, soaps, and skin care products. Shop or join by going to buylocaltampabay.com
Facebook livestream classes. Namaste. Nardo’s Natural, locally based organic skin care and cosmetics company, donated over 1,000 units of hand sanitizer to health care workers.
Friends of Strays Safer At Home Fund provides assistance for those who are unable to care for their pets due to loss of income. Qualifying applicants receive vouchers to use at Operation SNIP & SPOT: Spay & Neuter, and Pet Food Warehouse. SPCA pet food bank taking food donations Pet Pal Animal Shelter.
Cheers to St. Pete Distillery and Kozuba & Sons, distilleries that came to the rescue by converting operations to hand sanitizers. St. Pete Distillery distributed some 100,000 bottles to the community including weekly giveaways with Feeding Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. At Kozuba, where vodka, whiskey and liqueurs are usually on the bottling line, the full operation has been shifted to sanitizers, said team member Steve Riordan. “At first we were donating to first responders and essential workers – police, fire department, Ronald MacDonald House, CASA, the St. Pete Free Clinic,” he said. “Some donors stepped forward, too, like Jeff Fishman who paid for a shipment for Habitat for Humanity.” They are making the sanitizer according to World Health Organization guidelines, which requires 80 percent alcohol content, he added.
Sewing for St. Pete volunteers produced more than 10,000 masks for local health care workers. PARC’s Discovery Learning Center provided nearly 2,000 meals a week to children AND started a Positive Parenting Support Group, a virtual support group for parents and caregivers of children with developmental disabilities and/or behavioral challenges.
St. Pete-based Power Design purchased and distributed shipments of hand sanitizer from Kozuba & Sons for distribution to employees on construction sites around the country. SURGE Café at Power Design provided meals for three local Ronald McDonald Houses and St. Pete Police Department.
Jenny Miller and Katelyn Grady, the caring founders of Body Electric Yoga Company and Body Electric Athletic Company, and their instructors gave back to the community by offering many free
Grassroots Kava and Pup Active hosted a Pet Food Pantry where donations of food and litter could be dropped off and picked up by
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