Helping the Homeless in Tampa

Monday, Jan 3, is my 43 birthday so I’m asking all my friends to donate $3 (or $43) to my favorite nonprofit. Keep reading to learn more.

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, 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 these "homeless people" became individual stories and lives... and also my friends.

I look forward to the days where I get to

sit with 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. 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.

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

Creative Bay has pledged 1% of its equity, profit, products 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 end homelessness together.

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

Will you join us?

Your friend,

Hope Griffin

CEO of Creative Bay

Full-time volunteer CMO of The Bautista Project