Credit: Leo Gomez Studios

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St. Pete nonprofits explore unique fundraising initiatives

Via St. Pete Catalyst

As many nonprofits around the country report stagnant or declining donations, local charity organizations are turning to unique events and creative initiatives in a bid to drive support, keep donors engaged and capture a younger audience.

“When it comes to the notion of creative fundraising, we ask ourselves, how do you make sure that you’re not putting together events for the very same people every single time?” said Carl Goodman, President and CEO of the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg. “How do you grow your audience? How do you create events that have strong word-of-mouth to get coverage in the media?”

It was with these questions in mind that the Florida Holocaust Museum created a new initiative called the Rescuing Recipes Project, the brainchild of the museum’s Board Chairman, Mike Igel.

“My grandparents were Holocaust survivors, so I’m almost obsessed with figuring out ways to continue to make sure to pass along the lessons that I was raised on, the lessons of the Holocaust, in a meaningful way,” said Igel.

Igel brought together chef Elana Karp and winemaker Rachel Loew Lipman, both grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, to reimagine their family’s “rescued recipes” with a modern twist for a four-course, intimate, curated dinner and wine pairing. The event was a chance for attendees of all backgrounds to learn about the Holocaust by exploring the intersection of heritage and gastronomy. Although Igle, Goodman and the museum’s board of directors loved the spirit of the initiative, they were still pleasantly surprised when the event sold out.

“When you start something from scratch, you have no idea if it’s going to hit, whether people are going to connect with it the way we do, but you have to be willing to take risks and be willing to fail,” said Igele. “I think it’s really important that this event was mission-centric. We were teaching while we were doing this, and one of our philosophies is we want to teach people without them feeling like they’re being taught. There’s a community around food; it’s a human thing to sit around the table, and we wanted to tap that and use that as the lens by which we were teaching the lessons of the Holocaust without beating people over the head with them. We wanted people just to be able to enjoy themselves.”

Although many states, including Florida, mandate Holocaust education in schools, recent analyses throughout the country and a spike in antisemitic crimes have many Holocaust educators searching for new ways to connect with younger audiences. In recent years, the Florida Holocaust Museum has hosted a comedy show and a rock concert, and Igel said the board is exploring potential future events focused on music and movies as both fundraisers and ways to reach an untapped audience.

Full Article

Grand Opening of Sew Pinellas

Join us for the Grand Opening of Sew Pinellas during Lealman's inaugural Art Walk! This exciting event takes place on the Second Saturday Art Walk, showcasing the vibrant creativity of our community. Located at 5601 Haines Road, Sew Pinellas is proud to feature resident artist Gianna Pergamo, along with a host of talented vendors offering unique jewelry, delicious cookies, and other artistic creations. Don't miss our free sewing demonstrations, perfect for enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Directly across the street, you'll find The Shop & Coffee House at 5504 Haines Road, adding to the festive atmosphere with their own offerings. Come celebrate with us as we embark on this artistic journey in the heart of Lealman, where creativity and community come together!

Pinellas: Vacancies Announced on Lealman Community
Redevelopment Area (CRA) Advisory Committee

Applications Due by 3 p.m. January 19, 2024

Applications are now being accepted for three appointments to the Citizen Advisory Committee for the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). These appointments are for three- year terms, beginning on the date of appointment. The Lealman CRA Advisory Committee was established to advise the Pinellas County Community Redevelopment Agency on the creation and administration of the Lealman CRA redevelopment plan and any amendments thereto, and on issues and policies impacting the Lealman CRA.

 The committee has nine members, who are appointed by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. Applicants must be residents, business owners and/or property owners or other stakeholders from within the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area. A boundary map of the area can be found at pinellas.gov/lealman-cra-boundary-area-map. The bylaws of the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area Advisory Committee are available at: pinellas.gov/by-laws-of- the-lealman-community-redevelopment-area-advisory-committee. The committee meets six times per year, on the fourth Wednesday of every other month. However, meeting dates may be canceled or adjusted as needed.

Applications are due by 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. The application can be found at www.pinellas.gov/boards.

Please note: All materials submitted to Pinellas County government are subject to the public records law of the state of Florida.

Pinellas County to host free tree giveaway at LEX 

In a bid to kick off 2024 on an environmentally friendly note, Pinellas County will host a free tree giveaway. 

The tree giveaway will be held Jan. 20, 2024, at the Lealman Exchange, 5175 45th Street North, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pinellas County residents can receive one free tree per person or two per family. The giveaway will feature 200 diverse trees, all available on a first-come, first-served basis. Although the exact tree species are pending confirmation, organizers assure a diverse selection that may include edible fruit trees.

“Fruit trees are very expensive. Not a lot of wholesalers even sell them at a price where we can justify purchasing them for a giveaway, so we're really limited,” said Matthew Hill, Urban Forestry Management Specialist with Pinellas County Public Works. “We normally offer black mulberries, loquats or tea fruit bearing. We're trying to expand that, but it is difficult.”

Pinellas County’s Urban Forestry division hosts free tree giveaway events twice a year, marking National Arbor Day in April and Florida Arbor Day in January. In addition to educating the public on general gardening questions, the goal is to help maintain our existing tree canopy by providing free trees to individuals who may not be able to go purchase a tree at a local nursery at a commercial price.

“The shading in reducing urban heat island is probably the biggest benefit, and while one tree has benefits, it's really the overlapping canopy that helps. You need clusters, an interconnected canopy,” said Hill. “The trees also intercept rainfall and reduce the amount of runoff that we get.”

Hill notes that the tree giveaway is not only an opportunity to contribute to the ecological well-being of Pinellas County, but also for residents to enhance their surroundings and the appearance of their neighborhoods.

“The biggest positive is overall general quality of life,” Hill said. “There are a lot of intangible benefits the trees give that people connect with, like a sense of place. They develop emotional connections to green spaces.”

Hill said they currently give away 200 to 250 trees on average at the annual events, but the County aims to double or triple that number in future years. He recommends residents arrive early at the event for the largest selection of available trees.

Riding in a fire truck, Santa delivers gifts to children in Lealman

Congratulations to Firefighter/Paramedics Corey Kullman, Mike Harris, and Luke Hains

Career Corner

The Lealman Honey & Arts Festival '24 is just around the corner and we would love to have your unique offerings contribute to the success of this event. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to showcase your skills to a diverse crowd during this festival’s 2nd year!

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