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:
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.
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.
By Dalia Dangerfield | July 28, 2018 @8:08 AM
A Bay area woman is working to create a rest stop for the homeless.
- Beth Ross got idea for urban rest stop during Seattle visit
- She already has non-profit Blanket Tampa Bay
- Ross applying for grants, meeting with local leaders
Beth Ross wants to create Tampa's first urban rest stop.
"It's going to be a place where the homeless can go, take a shower, do laundry," she said.
Ross got the idea while visiting Seattle. A stop there has been providing free services for homeless individuals and families for nearly 20 years.
"It's kind of like a full circle of solving a community's problems," Ross said.
She has already been helping the homeless with shampoos, conditioners, toiletries and blankets through her first non-profit, Blanket Tampa Bay.
The urban rest stop would be the next step.
"There are so many people every Monday night that are looking for work, that want a job. If we can get them cleaned up, get them clothes for interview, get them a job, they'll be off the street."
But she will need money. She has been applying for grants and doing whatever she can to make it a reality.
"I'm just thrilled. I feel like a kid at Christmas. I just know it's going to come," Ross said.
She is hoping to have the urban rest stop ready to go by next year.
It will take about $50,000 to get started, she said. Ross has also been meeting with local leaders to get political support for the project.
Directors of Tampa Bay area nonprofit organizations are on the front lines of the local effort to end homelessness.
From developing urban rest stops and locations for people to fill water bottles to expanding mental health programming, local charities are stepping up in innovative ways to confront the issue.
Below are just a few of organizations led by visionaries working to help the homeless while aiming to end homelessness.
Blanket Tampa Bay and SALT Outreach – (Tampa)
FOCUS: Blankets and hygiene items for area homeless
VISION: Permanent urban rest stops that feature showering and clothes washing facilities
When Blanket Tampa Bay founder Beth Ross set out to provide blankets to homeless individuals three years ago, she never expected to spark major change. Ross’s idea resonated with people, though: by Christmas Day, 308 homeless individuals had a blanket to offer warmth and comfort.
“The offers to help were immediate,” she says of the near-instant donor response.
Ross formed Blanket Tampa Bay soon afterward. A 501c3 organization, Blanket Tampa Bay accepts donations of blankets, clothes and hygiene products; it then partners with volunteer groups to distribute them. One such organization is SALT Outreach. It’s clockwork, this joint effort: every Monday night, a queue forms outside St. Peter Claver Church on Nebraska Avenue. Homeless persons go through the line and collect seasonal items. SALT-affiliated families share food and drinks.
Blanket Tampa Bay will always be involved in this effort, says Ross, but she’s ready to expand the mission. A recent trip to tour Seattle’s urban rest stops sparked her resolve to adapt the innovative concept to permanent locations in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties.
The homeless have access to some shower facilities in the Bay Area, she says, but often must don the same dirty clothes afterward. Ross envisions permanent urban rest stops that feature restrooms and laundry facilities as well as showers. People seeking work would head out for the day clean and rejuvenated, she says, with greater confidence and likely greater chance to achieve gainful employment.
“We can provide this basic dignity for them,” she says. “It can make all the difference.”
HOW TO HELP:Blanket Tampa Bay accepts donations such as blankets and hygiene products, as well as seasonal items like mittens, coats and rain gear. Donate specifically toward the construction of Urban Rest Stops.
Image Credit: Julie Branaman