Julie Weintraub pays it forward with Hands Across the Bay

CLEARWATER (FOX 13) - Hands Across the Bay is Julie Weintraub’s grassroots charity helping people during various hardships, from domestic violence and unemployment to supporting issues for social change.   

"We're a small organization but we are a powerful organization,” explained Weintraub.  "We help folks that fall through the cracks and people who are in bad situations through no fault of their own."

Her hands-up approach has helped thousands of people get back on their feet.

"It’s all up here. It’s what we think," Weintraub continue.  "If we believe we can do it, we can do it. We can change our reality with our thoughts."

Weintraub was 13 years old when her mom and dad divorced. She and her mom moved from New England to Florida. Life was tough, she remembers. 

"I would have to bus tables at a little restaurant -- Sunset Point Family Restaurant -- before it was legal, technically, for me to work to help pay the bills." 

She learned the importance of generosity when a school teacher and others reached out their hands to help.  

"People were so good to me.  I know what that meant to me. What a difference it can make, you know? You take a little time to give someone that attention."

So when Weintraub became successful and independent, she decided to give back the same way others helped her.  

"If you want to fight and you want to live, overcome even the worst circumstances, you can do that,” she added.  “And that's what we want people to know.”