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.