How Creative Bay is Investing in Tampa

January 3 is my birthday and there couldn't be a better time then now to tell you about how my small company is giving back to the local community and invite YOU to join us.

Before you go further, because I know some of you are ready to scroll down to the bottom and see the Birthday ask, here it is! I'm asking everyone to give $3 to this GoFundMe on January 3 in honor of my 43 years.

Now that that's out of the way :) keep reading!

How & Why Creative Bay is Giving Back to Tampa

For a little over a year now I've been volunteering with The Bautista Project - delivering food and clean clothes downtown, helping with clean-ups at MacDill Park on the Riverwalk, marketing, locating jobs and resources, and raising awareness.

Picture of Bautista Project volunteers at our last Park Clean-Up. We love getting the kids involved.

Darth Vader even brought a few of his workers to help do their part in keeping Tampa beautiful!

It didn't take long before the homeless became individual stories and lives... and also my friends.

Now, I look forward to the days where I get to

?? sit with Ms. Morgan?and listen as she shares stories of her time as an award-winning journalist who interviewed princes, or when she worked with the original Star Trek crew - yes I geeked out a little that day! She's in her 70s. Every time I leave her I feel like I'm leaving my grandmother at a bus stop.

?? check in with Jack?who loves to fish, work and flirt (a lot). He's fighting cancer right now and sleeping in an alley. His stomach can't handle regular food most days so we bring him protein drinks and sit with him for as long as he needs us to.

?? visit with our Veteran J?and hear about his new job and how much he loves work. We're currently searching for some classes for him that will help him progress in his skill set at work. He's close to being able to afford to rent a room!

?? work with S?at the food pantry where this young man helps us distribute meals to those who struggle with food insecurity before we give him a ride back to the dark alley where he sleeps downtown.

Picture of some of our volunteers working to distribute food with Grow My Giving at Keeney Chapel.

The Bautista Project is working to end homelessness one person at a time by getting to know each individual, accessing their needs, and working to move them towards sustainable housing. There isn't a one-size-fits-all. It's about building relationships and pouring into their lives in a way that some have never experienced before.

We're building a community of?BELONGING and addressing the systems in place that create homelessness, to begin with (food insecurity, affordable housing, sustainable employment, living wages, mental healthcare, access to medical care, and more)

These people on the streets... they are our friends.

Why Creative Bay Exists

In May of 2021, I transitioned from a freelance writer to a business owner and founded CreativeBayllc.com.

Creative Bay was founded with two clear purposes:

• to create sustainable remote jobs for Military Spouses who have an above national average unemployment rate and for Creatives to learn to monetize their talent (like Ms. Morgan)
• to help bring in additional resources for The Bautista Project

To stay on mission, our ideal clients are those who practice people above profits and who are in need of copy & content to elevate their own social impact messaging.

Creative Bay has pledged 1% of its profit, services and time to help The Bautista Project work towards ending homelessness one person at a time.

As a new company, 1% isn't a lot in $$. But that's the point, isn't it? Alone none of us can solve homelessness, but when we combine our resources and give (no matter how small it may feel) we can make a big impact together.

Creative Bay is kicking off this fundraiser with a $200 end-of-year donation.

Will you join us?

Give at https://gofund.me/2b0d499d

Want to know more about where your donation will be going?

On February 19th, the Bautista Project is co-hosting "A Day of Love"?- at Keeney Chapel and the adjacent park (7736 Destin Dr, Tampa, FL 33619)

The event is an opportunity to cast a bigger vision for our friends. To show them that there is a larger community that cares for their wellbeing and is cheering them on towards success.

On February 19 our goal is to provide 250 individuals who are unhoused with:

• Medical Screenings - thanks to volunteer nurses!
• Showers
• a hot meal
• Backpacks
• Shoes & clean clothes
• 2?Snack Paxx?each (a sack lunch of non-perishables)
• Belonging Boxes?(hygiene kits)
• time for fellowship with board games, puzzles and crafts

When you donate to this GoFundMe your donation today will help offset:

$148 per security officers, we need 3 = $444

$7 per plate of food, we need 250 = $1750

@$10 for each pair of shoes, we need 250 = $2500

$1 for each Snack Paxx, we need 500 = $500

$11 for each Belonging Box, we need 250 = $2,750

And some of the additional goals:

• A group of students from Blake High School, want to set up a craft station making shell necklaces with our friends and they need supplies
• Some of our friends who have jobs could use a bike and/or bus pass to help them get to work.?Did you know the average unhoused individual walks 10 miles a day! That also means they go through ALOT of shoes.
• Mental health evaluations... Before placing an individual in a job, mental health services are part of our process. As of late, we've been having to skip this step because of a lack of access and resources. It makes a big difference in knowing where they are at in their hierarchy of needs. But right now, there's a mental health provider shortage in our country, and accessing services for our friends has proven very challenging. If you are a mental health professional and would like to help on February 19th, please reach out.
• Gift cards to fast-food restaurants and grocery stores so they can purchase the items they enjoy and need for themselves. There is so much power in choice!

The Bautista Project is 100% volunteer staff, providing much of their own resources to help the individuals the non-profit takes on as clients.

Join us in making sure February 19 is truly a Day of Love!