Photo by Mahika Kukday | The Crow’s Nest
By Mahika Kukday
In a city that prides itself on staying local, it’s no surprise that small businesses across St. Petersburg have rallied since Sept. 27 to alleviate the devastating effect of a distant Hurricane Helene.
As of Saturday morning, nine fatalities were reported in Pinellas County by The Tampa Bay Times. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri likened his time in the field to a “war zone” in a Friday monring news conference, stating that destruction and public works damage is extensive.
On day four of recovery from such significant impacts, including record-breaking storm surge in St. Petersburg, the Sunshine City’s community is banding together to protect their own.
Some of the city’s most beloved eateries have taken it upon themselves to make sure people have a warm meal and a place to go.
The iconic Pete’s Bagels offered free bagels and drip coffee to anyone who may need it on Sept. 27, extending the offer to the weekend. They also gave away limited bagel-bags via their Instagram.
Photo courtesy of petes_general on Instagram
Bandit Coffee offered a discounted menu the same day at their sister concept on Central Avenue, Small Bar.
The Bandit team also shared resources and GoFundMe links for affected community members via their Instagram stories. They posted over 20 hurricane-relief-related stories between Sept. 26 and 27, and continue to do so.
Photo courtesy of banditstpete on Instagram
Both Bandit and Paradeco Coffee are popular cafés where it can often be difficult to find seating, due to high demand. However, since they reopened on Sept. 27, both spots have welcomed people to stay as long as they need, especially if they need access to electricity.
Kahwa Coffee offered free coffee drinks to the Bay’s first responders from Sept. 27 until Wednesday, Oct. 2. Additionally, they continued their annual tradition of giving away free coffee drinks to the public on Sept. 29, in celebration of National Coffee Day.
And the kindness extends far beyond keeping stomachs fed.
Clearwater hair salon, Whole Hearted Hair, said on Sept. 27 that they would provide complimentary shampooing and blow-out services. Spindrift Barbering Co in downtown St. Petersburg also offered free haircuts in a comment on a @sunshinecitywithkids Instagram post.
For those who were affected by the closure of the Northeast Sewer Treatment Plant on Sept. 27, these services may have been especially helpful. Until the plant came back online at midnight Sunday, those in the affected area were unable to take showers or flush their toilets.
In order to help community members find a moment of peace amongst the chaos, Sun State Yoga studio is offering free yoga classes until Oct. 6.
Florida birth movement, a pregnancy care center in Old Northeast, is welcoming those who need help caring for children. People can drop off their kids for day care and stop by to use power and running water.
Many of these businesses came together to help on the Sunshine City with Kids Instagram. The account is a virtual guide for family-friendly activities in St. Petersburg. Its creator, Britt Addis, posted on Friday asking for people and businesses to offer hurricane-relief advice and services.
Some local accounts to follow where resources and updates are being shared regularly, are Bandit Coffee, Sunshine City with Kids and St. Pete Girls Who Walk, who are a walking club here in St. Petersburg.
Feeding Tampa Bay is also coordinating emergency food distributions throughout Tampa Bay, including Pinellas, Manatee, Hernando and Hillsborough Counties.
Photo courtesy of Julie Capozziello
Relief efforts are also in full swing from county and state governments. The City of St. Petersburg deployed 10 food trucks on the weekend to provide free meals until resources last. Pinellas opened cooling stations throughout the county on Saturday and Sunday, offering a place to relax and charge devices.
Additionally, the City waived all parking charges in downtown for the weekend. For two weeks beginning today, Sept. 30, they’ve also teamed up with Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority to make bus services completely free.
Localized information about road closures, public works updates and aid efforts can be found on your specific county website.
