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

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.

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.

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 off ering many free 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.

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 fi rst we were donating to fi rst responders and essential workers – police, fi re 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.

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.

Grassroots Kava and Pup Active hosted a Pet Food Pantry where donations of food and litter could be dropped off and picked up by needy pet owners. St. Petersburg College’s Health Education Center (HEC) donated more than 26,000 medical supplies including gloves, gowns, goggles, masks, surgical caps, and disinfectant wipes to local hospitals. Various faculty members also are going the extra mile to replenish the supply of needed medical supplies by creating 3D printed face shields and masks.

Stephen Schrutt, center, delivers food.

Brian Zucker of St. Pete Rising rose to the occasion by establishing St. Pete Meals. The online fundraiser purchased and delivered food from local restaurants to healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19. Meals were delivered to hospitals, urgent care facilities, physician offi ces, fi rst responders, senior living facilities, Bay Pines VA Hospital, and more. As of late May, more than 7,100 meals had been purchased and delivered. Stephen Schrutt and a team from the Hunger and Thirst Group pitched in with food and delivery (he also established a fund for his employees). Kristina and Paul Taylor and local musician Jim Garrett helped raise over $8,500 dollars with a charity concert for St. Pete Meals.

The folks at St. Pete Catalyst have been providing short livestream support video segments nearly five nights a week since mid-March geared to small business owners and great livestream entertainment for the home-bound. Coronavirus Impact Insight Reports with Catalyst publisher Joe Hamilton support from a variety of guests from city leaders to business owners. Bill DeYoung’s diverse Catalyst Sessions interviews on Facebook Live present fun interactive conversations with a variety of locals involved in interesting things. Never a dull moment at Catalyst.

Alsace Walentine, owner of independent bookstore Tombolo Books, took to the streets by bike and by car for those in need of a read by delivering and picking up books and even jigsaw puzzles with curbside “no touch” service.

The Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund teamed up to donate $1 million in support to nonprofit organizations in Tampa Bay, including to $250,000 to Feeding Tampa Bay. They also established a COVID-19 Relief Grant program.

Lot 4 of Tropicana Field was used as a Feeding Tampa Bay drive-thru mobile pantry each Saturday in April, providing food for thousands of residents in need. The Rays and concessions partner, Levy, donated a total of 26 pallets of food and and Chamber CEO Chris Steinocher feature advice and beverages worth $200,000 from Tropicana Field, Charlotte Sports Park and Al Lang Stadium, to Metropolitan Ministries and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. The Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund also donated $100,000 to the St. Pete Fighting Chance Fund for small businesses and their employees.

Milkey Family Foundation donated $100,000 to the Pinellas Community Foundation to support St. Petersburg’s Fighting Chance Fund. The Milkey’s donated $1 million to the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center which will open soon on the St. Pete Pier.

Local Heros Contest

Evolve & Co. founder/owner Lisa Williams and 10 clients held a Local Heroes Contest to honor people in the community who showed outstanding support and kindness during the COVID-19 crisis. Finalists included:

Tony Mangiafi co | Gratzzi Italia Anthony Close & Brian Zucker | St. Pete Rising Melanie Martin | Cox Media Group Tampa Carlton Miller, Dennis Rowan, & Sara Holloway | REACH Team at Centerstone S t . P e t e S t r o n g Stephen Schrutt | Hunger + Thirst Group Michael Guinn | Operation Halo Shield Lara Warn | Pup Active Rachel Martin | St. Anthony’s Hospital Pastor Bryan & Jen Jennings | Liberty Church St. Pete Audrie Ranon | Museum of Fine Arts - St Pete Miles Fetherston-Resch | Kids Saving Oceans Anthony Peters | Tampa Bay Local Resident Loyda Yates | Tampa Bay Local Resident Kat Brown | Tampa Bay Local Resident Sarah Fowler | Tampa Bay Local Resident Shirley Overton | Tampa Bay Local Resident

Swah-rey Bakery owner Leslie Ann and staff hand-delivered thousands of minicupcakes to health care and essential workers as part of her “Minis for Medics” campaign. She delivers boxes of pastries to hospitals, fi rst responders, and other essential workers thanks to generous donors. In early May, more than $5,000 had been donated for the sweet deliveries.

Beans & Barlour owner Story Stuart went the extra mile by hosting a free toilet paper drive-through in front of her shop on March 21. Now that’s what we call a helping hand. St. Petersburg Foodies are providing updated listings of restaurants open for dine it , takeout and delivery in St. Petersburg at stpetersburgfoodies.com

Students at the University of South Florida–St. Petersburg are helping seniors who are feeling isolated during these “safer at home” times through St. Pete Friends. The program offers an opportunity for community members and students to connect via phone, video chat or even traditional letters to talk about their current experiences with social distancing or to just chat.

“We always look for ways to serve people, and this is another example of doing so during a difficult time,” said Martin Tadlock, regional chancellor of USF St. Petersburg. “Plus, as an older citizen myself, there is value in building stronger connections across generations, as college students have a lot to learn from their older neighbors and our older neighbors have a lot to learn from today’s college students.”

Seniors in St. Petersburg living on their own can sign up to be a part of the program and receive companion calls from a USF St. Petersburg student through the Seniors In Service Tele-Pals Program. In the online application, please designate “Referred by USF St. Petersburg” in order to be paired with a USFSP student. Apply here: www.usfsp.edu/career-center/ st-pete-friends