Category: News

When Kay-Kay Smith moved to St. Petersburg from Miami in 1994, she quickly found herself facing a host of challenges. A career in cosmetology offered her a way to provide for her young son and find stability, even through hard times. Today, she directs the Rise and Thrive Foundation, with a mission of disrupting cycles […]

When Mary Murph’s daughters were diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease more than 50 years ago, information on the condition was hard to find. In her quest to better understand what her daughters were facing and how she could help, Murph wrote dozens of letters to groups all over the country before finally receiving a handful […]

After graduating from college, Cameron Macleish found himself living in a dumpster diving community in Melbourne, Australia. At first, rescuing food seemed like a major life hack to save money. Soon after, however, he saw the amount of food waste he was witnessing as a major problem – and also an opportunity. After returning home […]

When Modern Griot Corporation Founder Lola Morgan lost her brother in 2016, her family didn’t have the resources to process their grief and work toward healing. Eight years later, Morgan is a certified mental health first aid practitioner and life coach who offers others what she wishes someone had offered her. “After losing my brother, […]

On June 19, 1865, more than two months after the Civil War officially ended, Union troops arrived in Galveston, TX, to inform enslaved people there (and the people who enslaved them) that they were free. Described as a second independence day, Juneteenth commemorates the day when enslaved people in the farthest reaches of the South […]

Ten years ago, SailFuture Co-Founder and CEO Mike Long was a student at New College of Florida when his former high school principal, who had expelled him, reached out with an invitation. “I was really lucky to be where I was at in my life based on the choices I had made when I was […]

Every month, 250 adopted Grandmas, Grandpas, Nanas and Pop-pops report to elementary school classrooms throughout the community. Part of the Foster Grandparents Program operated by Foundation funded partner Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, these dedicated 55+ volunteers aid teachers, mentor students, support schools, and, in the process, perhaps help themselves. “I get a lot […]

In the next few months, Hope Villages of America will expand their work to South St. Petersburg, offering culturally responsive services to BIPOC women experiencing domestic violence. “We’ve got decades of experience doing this work, we’re here to make a difference and change people’s lives,” said Hope Villages CEO Nick DiCeglie. “We’re honored and privileged […]

On Sunday, February 18, more than 150 Black men from our city filled the Foundation’s Center for Health Equity, converting the day into a sacred space of healing, brotherhood, community, and support. In an affinity space reserved exclusively for Black men, they shared. They listened. They linked arms. They spoke about healing. The afternoon was […]

As someone who served time in the carceral system, John Bailey says he’s seen struggles with re-entry and recidivism first-hand. “Guys would talk about how hard it was, some were afraid to go home because they didn’t feel prepared, and they’d end up back in prison” he explained. As a 2024 funded partner, Bailey hopes […]