Community PARtners in 2022

One of PAR's core values is to give back to the community—and we've started 2022 off with plenty of activities that help the causes we support in our area. Here are some highlights:

January: Several PAR staff members joined forces with Feeding Tampa Bay to support their Mega-Pantry program. Held several times per week in various locations around Tampa, the Mega-Pantry distributes fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, dry goods, and more in a drive-through-style event to those in our community who are experiencing food insecurity. The beautiful weather provided an ideal backdrop as PAR staff members sorted food and loaded hundreds of cars with enough food to feed each family for a week.

Feeding Tampa Bay is dedicated to eradicating hunger in the Tampa Bay region by 2025. For more information, visit Feeding Tampa Bay.

February: The PARty Animals took home first place at this year's Bark in the Park, an annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB). One of PAR's most popular staff events, it combines our mission of giving back with our love of animals. Between holding neighborhood walks and running a robust fundraising campaign, we raised an all-time record of more than $11,000. The event raised nearly $160,00 overall, surpassing this year's HSTB goal and providing much-needed funds that will be used to help house, heal, and feed hundreds of animals in the Tampa Bay area.

April: PAR staff participated in United Way Suncoast's annual Week of Caring. This year, we worked with MacDonald Training Center, an organization that supports people with disabilities via training, vocational opportunities, life enrichment opportunities, and residential help.

To support this organization, staff members participated in MacDonald Training Center's Bead Recycling Program. We sorted donated Gasparilla beads—about 7,000 in all!—to make new bundles that will be resold to pirates participating in next year's parade—with all proceeds going to the center.

Learn more about MacDonald Training Center and the comprehensive services it provides to people with disabilities at macdonaldcenter.org.

We are so grateful to be able to give back to our community with our time, energy, and resources. To learn more about what we are doing to make a difference in the Tampa Bay Area, visit our Community PARtners page.