The Sunshine City Soiree will benefit the St. Pete Museum of History and its mission to curate and tell the stories of our city.

The 2026 social season is a whirl, but queen of the ball may just be the first annual Sunshine City Soiree – a community celebration benefitting the St. Petersburg Museum of History (SPMOH) February 21 in the Vinoy ballroom from 6-10 pm.

 “It’s an unforgettable evening of cocktails, dinner, and entertainment with Bryan Hughes & The Crew, with live and silent auctions,” says Executive Director Rui Farias. “This is an opportunity for the museum to help the city celebrate their 134th birthday.… Read More

The motto of The Salvation Army is “Doing the Most Good,” which is ever-apparent during the holiday season – perhaps the iconic organization’s busiest time. 

The Salvation Army of Greater St. Petersburg (SAGSP) has an on-site food pantry stocked through donations and community partnerships that operate throughout the year. In the fall, a major food drive helps secure more donations for the winter holidays in addition to its usual stock of non-perishables, plus fresh, seasonal produce and vegetables.

“Our holiday season kicks off with the Holiday Food Drive, which helps families throughout Southern Pinellas County,” says Kim Duncan, development coordinator for The Salvation Army’s Florida Division, St.… Read More

Pictured: Asianna Lotito, center with board members Lisa Davis and Samantha Ghezelbash, founded The Sweet Friend, which provides school supplies, clothing, popsicles, and more for local students. Courtesy of The Sweet Friend Foundation

For some kids at Mount Vernon Elementary, the popsicles they receive for free each month are the only sweet treat they can count on. But popsicles don’t grow on trees. The popsicles, and the mountains of donated bookbags, school supplies, and even seasonal pumpkins, come from The Sweet Friend Foundation, a nonprofit founded by St. Petersburg resident Asianna Lotito.

“It’s a labor of love,” says Lotito. Mount Vernon Elementary in St.… Read More

Imagine this: You walk by a storm drain and know it like an old friend – because this year, it’s your responsibility. To the average person, that might sound like a burden. But to you, a ‘Burger with a sense of duty to your community, it’s the ultimate love letter to the city.

Starting this summer, the City of St. Petersburg is launching the Adopt-a-Drain program, which allows residents and organizations to “adopt” a local drain of their choosing and commit to keeping it clear for a year.

“It’s our newest program, and really it relies on volunteerism from our community,” said Ivan Fountain, a neighborhood specialist for the City of St.… Read More

The glory of our waterfront parks in downtown St. Pete was on full display during Shopapalooza 2024. An extravagant feast for the senses: The sights! The smells! The deals!  But what’s this? A booth with just a bowl of Hershey’s kisses, a few stacks of documents, and a woman with a very inviting smile. Oh, and a dog bowl of water for the four-legged attendees. She looked like a favorite aunt, and curious visitors soon find she represents Suncoast Voices for Children. It turns out, Kari Mainelli has been driven to help with the needs of others for as long as she has been able to make good things happen.… Read More

Disaster Dog: a dog residing at a shelter, abandoned, or otherwise misplaced due to a storm or other natural disaster. 

Pinellas County Animal Services works hard to do what’s best for disaster dogs during storms and has a relationship with many Pinellas animal shelters and rescues. When back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton struck and Pinellas animal shelters were overwhelmed with dogs from evacuees, abandoned on the streets, or otherwise misplaced, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Cue independent outfits like Jaime McKnight’s Pawlicious Poochie Pet Rescue.

Since 2013, McKnight has operated her 501c3 nonprofit dog rescue. Her specialty? Senior pups, handicap, sick, and small breed dogs, 10 pounds and under.… Read More

Featured image: Youth Ministry Director Andrew Johnson and Life Teen Core member Chris Griffin with help youth fill sandbags

It’s been well over a month since hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, and neighborhoods are still feeling her wrath. The communities of Snell Isle and Shore Acres, and their neighboring areas, are among some of the hardest hit in St. Pete. As you drive down Snell Isle Boulevard and into Shore Acres you see the remnants of what once made a home now tossed on the side of the road. The debris piles seem endless and the loss they represent are sobering.… Read More

The 2024 storm season won’t soon be forgotten. The city experienced back-to-back hurricanes that flooded homes and carved up the landscape. But even in the darkness, there is light. The residents of this area did what they do best: they helped each other. This included hands reaching out to our local artist community.

After Milton, things were amiss in many ways. The October Art Walk was suspended. The SHINE mural festival was delayed. A popular event, Hauntizaar, was canceled. Art receptions were left unattended, art unseen, and unsold. Two art centers on the beaches, as well as numerous galleries, like A Little Room for Art, were flooded and closed. A… Read More

Shuffleboard is fun! Hanging out with friends and making new ones? Also fun! Raising money for an incredibly good cause, while playing shuffleboard with friends and enjoying delicious food and drink? Right this way to the Ready to Shuffle charity event at St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club on Thursday, November 7. 

The second annual benefit for Ready for Life, a skill center that supports former foster care youth, offers attendees fun, refreshments, and the heartfelt satisfaction of helping those who need it. Whether you’re a regular shuffler or just curious, all are invited to come out for a cause that offers “homelessness prevention, education and employment, and lifeline support networks” for former foster youth.… Read More

Rev. Ben Atherton-Zeman has done impressions since childhood, and he’s good at them, immediately launching into an amusing channeling of broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite and the Monty Python comedy troupe. “What can I say,” he jokes, “I was an only child and growing up I had to entertain myself.” 

While Atherton-Zeman may have a gift for comedy – he met his wife Lucinda while they were both performing improv – it was not meant to be his life’s work. Instead, Atherton-Zeman, the new minister of the Unitarian Universality Church of St. Petersburg, used his talent for humor toward a very altruistic purpose: social justice.  … Read More