'Shore Acres Strong' logo unites community after Hurricane Idalia, raises money for relief fund
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Shore Acres neighbors banded together to create a relief fund and merch to give back to their community after Hurricane Idalia.
Kevin Batdorf, President of the Shore Acres Civic Association said an estimated 1,400 homes in the neighborhood have water damage from the storm surge.
Many residents, like Karina Marin, are now displaced and have to rebuild and repurchase furniture, clothing, and appliances. Marin wanted to help her fellow neighbors but didn't have the means to make a monetary donation. So she created a "Shore Acres Strong" logo instead.
"The logo, it means a lot to all of us. The star of the show is the pelican. He's on the bay. He just keeps us united. Pelicans are always around our neighborhood. In the background of the logo, there's a boat with people fishing, so it's just the essence of Shore Acres," she said.
Karina Marin created a "Shore Acres Strong" logo.
Marin printed the logo on stickers and put them up for sale for however much people were willing to pay. She wanted to give the proceeds back to the community but didn't know how.
READ: Hurricane Idalia caused between $80 million and $370 million in agriculture damages
So she turned to Batdorf and the Shore Acres Civic Association. Partnering with The Council of Neighborhood Associations of South Pinellas County, a 501 (C) (3) non-profit, they launched the Shore Acres Relief Fund, where all proceeds from the merch are directed to.
"After all of the stickers just became popular. The neighbors kept asking for more. Like what can you do with this logo," Marin said.
The "Shore Acres Strong" line has since expanded to offer cups, coozies, t-shirts, and mugs.
The logo united the community after the storm.
"It [the logo] caught on like fire. As soon as I saw it, I'm like, that's us. We're Shore Acres strong. We really are. Just one little sticker encapsulates our entire neighborhood," explained Batdorf.
So far, about $7,000 has gone into the fund. The Civic Association is weighing two options for what to do with the fund.
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"I think almost 1,400 homes had water in them. Of those homes, most of them lost their refrigerator. We could give gift certificates to a food store," Batdorf said.
The proceeds from merch go towards a relief fund.
Another option would be to form a coalition with The Riviera United Methodist Church, Christ Church in Downtown St. Pete, and The Pineapple Projects "to collect and distribute household items, household essentials, furniture, hard furniture," according to Batdorf.
Batdorf said the Civic Association will hold a meeting in the coming weeks to assess what needs are in the Shore Acres community and how the fund will be distributed.
The Riviera United Methodist Church and Christ Church are accepting hard furniture donations for those impacted by Idalia. For more information, click here.
To buy the merch or donate to the Shore Acres Relief Fund, click here.