BLANKET
TAMPA
BAY


Blanket Tampa Bay is dedicated to serving the Homeless
by providing everyday needs with compassion & dignity

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Our Mission

Blanket Tampa Bay was started in 2015 when the church I was attending gave each family $100 with the idea of doing something good and coming back together in January to talk about what we did and how we used the money. I told my husband I wanted to use the money to buy blankets for the homeless. 

In the meantime I stopped off at Trinity Café who serves meals to the homeless every day, to meet my friend Cindy Davis who was the Director at the time and asked her how many people they serve every day, Cindy said about 285 people. I was amazed and said, “What if I collect about 300 blankets to pass out on Christmas Eve? Cindy said that would be great! When I told my husband I wanted to collect 300 blankets he said: “where are you going to get that many blankets”? 

So I created a Facebook page and packages arrived from Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona. Together, they held a generous 308 blankets!  It was so exciting to receive so much kindness that we could pay forward! That Christmas, as promised we passed out our blankets to the guests at Trinity Café.  the light that we saw in the guests' eyes inspired us to continue this program and do our best to Blanket Tampa Bay.

Business Locations Needed

Would you be interested in helping the Homeless by placing a collection box in your business?


Blanket Tampa Bay is looking for locations to place our blanket boxes starting October 3rd. These boxes are for twin size blankets as well as travel size hygiene products.


You don’t have to do anything except place the box somewhere visible These boxes will help bring you new customers because we will tag your page as a drop off location.


For pick up and drop off locations contact Rachel at 813-444-8402 or Rachel@blanketampabay.org.


22 Jan, 2021
Beth Ross is pleased to share that, despite all that happened in 2020 with the coronavirus and social distancing, the community was able to step up and share 3,400+ blankets with Blanket Tampa Bay. For a short time, Blanket Tampa Bay had to prioritize the safety of volunteers and the homeless by finding alternative ways to interact with the community and those in need. Blanket Tampa Bay volunteers began collecting items and assembling blessing bags. Area businesses sponsored bags and provided contents to help reach thousands. Additionally, Blanket Tampa Bay was able to partner with Trinity Cafe to streamline distribution when we couldn't be at our normal site. This gave homeless individuals and families access to food, comfort items and blankets all at once. In December, the Suncoast News published a story that helped us reach our end-of-year blanket goal and shared our mission with others. They thoughtfully mentioned a goal that is significant to us, the idea of the Urban Rest Stop in not one but two locations. We are so pleased that some of our sponsors were mentioned in the article and would like to thank ALL of our sponsors, donors, and our amazing volunteers who helped us meet many of our goals during a difficult year! We are eternally grateful for all that was done and the encouragement to continue forward.
By BTB Volunteer 07 Dec, 2020
As some may know, our CEO Beth Ross has undergone back surgery and is currently recuperating. But that hasn't stopped her or Blanket Tampa Bay from going full steam ahead with plans to distribute blankets and blessing bags at Trinity Cafe this Christmas Eve. In addition to the blankets, Beth hopes to provide other comfort items that will help through the winter months. The Tampa Free Press shared an update about everything we're doing this December and how you can get involved. For those who don't know, Trinity Cafe is part of Feeding Tampa Bay. It is a free, full service restaurant open 365 days a year to help those in need. Because of the coronavirus, Trinity Cafe will be offering take-out meals to be safely enjoyed elsewhere. For some, elsewhere may be the streets this December. and that is why our volunteers are working so hard to make sure that we give out blankets and more in conjunction with Trinity Cafe's generous and nutritious meals. With the steep rise in joblessness, this may be the first year some are homeless and they need every bit of support we can manage. There are two year-end goals that we need your help with to make Christmas Eve possible: First, Beth originally set a goal of collecting and sharing 3,000 blankets. Unfortunately, she's about 2,400 shy. If you have spare blankets or collect them from friends and neighbors, please do so safely and then drop off new or gently used blankets at the locations below. These boxes will be available until Friday, December 18th, 2020. The collection locations are: 1. 205 S. Hoover St-Ta”mpa Bay Marina 2. 8729 Gunn Hwy -Bru Growler Bay 3. 3251 W. Hillsborough Ave – Powerhouse Gym 4. 4218 Henderson Blvd – Salon Eunoia 5. 18105 Gunn Hwy -Keystone Prep Tampa 6. 408 Limona Rd - Limona Village Chapel 7. 11001 N Florida Ave- Maus Nissan If you are a business owner and would like to set up a collection box in front of your building please send an email to our co-founder Ray Ross at Zampard123@aol.com with the address of the business, name of the business and contact name and number. Second, we have a fundraising goal of $2,500 that is part of our year-end Christmas Charity campaign . Fundraising for nonprofits has been pretty dismal this year, and we are seeking support to help meet our operating and our program costs. We do our best to obtain donated items throughout the year, but when there are shortages having the funds to meet basic needs is vital.
By BTB Volunteer 07 Dec, 2020
This year has thrown some curve balls, and our Blanket Tampa Bay team is working to adopt new ways to deliver our mission of serving the homeless of Tampa Bay. Recently, Julie Salomone of WFTS-ABC Action News interviewed BTB founders Beth and Ray Ross as they distributed soup, blankets, and blessing bags at a Pasco county gas station. The interview touched on many important parts of what we're doing now and why. Watch the interview here: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/everybody-has-a-story-pasco-county-couple-hands-out-bl... As temperatures dipped into the 30's and 40's, Beth and Ray took to the streets to provide items to the homeless. Before the pandemic, our team was blessed to have many organizations sharing the news about our Monday events at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Tampa. Now, we are actively serving the homeless as we can and sharing more information about where to find our volunteers. We continue to collect donated items, such as blankets and items for our blessing bags. To help us with our blessing bags or to make your own, please visit our wish list or see how one corporate partner got involved . The Green Committee of Moffitt Cancer Center was also featured in the interview as they graciously made sleeping bags out of blue surgical material that is both waterproof and windproof, perfect for the cold nights the homeless are facing this winter. Learn more about Dr. Kris Lombardi and the idea behind the sleeping bags here.
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Why We Do What We Do

At any time, any one of us could be living on the streets. All it takes is one life-changing event to leave someone homeless, cold, and feeling alone.  In those moments, kindness and basic resources can be what bring hope, shelter, and an opportunity for better circumstances. 

Currently, because of COVID-19, our volunteers assemble large blessing bags and partner with area soup kitchens and food banks to distribute hygiene products of every kind as well as blankets.

Our weekly mission is to serve the homeless and help restore some of their dignity.  Our long-term vision is to continue our current programs and build an Urban Rest Stop.   An Urban Rest Stop would be a haven where Homeless individuals can take a clean shower, launder their clothes, use the bathroom, and find trustworthy short-term storage for their possessions.  

An Urban Rest Stop would be an important resource to improve the health and hygiene for those who rarely get such relief.  It would also be fundamental to pursue opportunities, like a job interview, a housing application, rehabilitation, even precious time with family.  

Blankets

Blankets provide so much for the Homeless.  Blankets provide warmth, comfort as a pillow, barrier between a body and an ant-filled patch of grass or dirt, shelter from the elements, even a sense of security and peace.

Hygiene Items

We work hard to provide our city's Homeless with the basic essentials that anyone would need in life, especially life on the Florida streets. 

Urban Rest Stop

Our vision for an Urban Rest Stop is a stand alone building where the homeless can go and take a shower, wash their clothes, and store some items for a short period of time free-of-charge and with the reassurance that they can pursue opportunities without losing their possessions.

Take Action

Volunteer your energy, talents and resources to bring inspiration and hope to those who need it. 

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