15th annual Stillpoint Mission Appeal has a new goal

For the past 14 years, Lakewood Ranch's Bob Smith has had a mission: to pay it forward.

When he first discovered Stillpoint Mission, a Bradenton nonprofit that provides essential services to "the poorest of the poor," he knew he needed to help. 

What started as an email to a few friends has grown into 70 donors — friends, family, and anyone else willing to help. Each year he has beaten the donation amount of the previous year. Last year $84,017 was raised. To date, $519,000 has been raised.

This year, however, Stillpoint's mission is a bit different. The nonprofit has outgrown its 2,000-square-foot building. Clothes, diapers, food and more quickly fills their space and they have had to get creative on how to store and distribute everything. 

“This is now about eventually having sufficient funds to lease, buy or build a new building," Smith said. "The point of this is it's a capital campaign.” 

Smith is calling it the "Stillpoint Needs a Place" or SNAP campaign. The appeal will end April 3.

Stillpoint receives no government funding, so it depends on donations and grants to provide its services, which include providing food, clothing, diapers and utility bill assistance. Everyone at Stillpoint is a volunteer. 

Courtesy image

Marge Slepica, the vice president of Stillpoint Mission, said their top priority is the safety of the clients. Currently, Stillpoint clients park and wait at the vacant lot across the street because the building doesn’t have parking. Stillpoint pays $750 a month for the lot. Stillpoint also has to hire a security officer, at $65 an hour, to help direct the clients across the busy street on Fridays when the nonprofit is distributing food. 

“(Drivers) are rushing to and from work and our people are crossing that street,” Slepica said. “They often have babies and have their arms full of items, and it's been dangerous. We've had some very close calls over the years. We've just felt we needed to get away from that situation before something terrible happens.”

Slepica said their second priority is gaining more space to store donations and to have a better “shopping experience.” The clients don’t pay for what they get, but she said more space could allow for more storage and better services. She said diapers are often stacked to the ceiling and clothing donations pile up quickly.

Most of their services are provided through the windows of the building with the clients outside. For clothes, clients are timed with eight minutes to shop, only four people let into the building at a time, due to the amount of space. 

Courtesy image

“They come through the building and they can pick out what they want (for clothes),” Slepica said. “We try to have some sorting in place so that they can make a quick decision and move on through the building when they're looking for items.”

Country Club East’s Bob Keehn has been involved with the Stillpoint Appeal for the last 10 years. He took over a golf group in 2016 that has worked toward connecting the community with Stillpoint. He wishes he had become involved sooner.

Photo by Madison Bierl

Smith sends three emails for the campaign asking for donations. Keehn takes the information from Smith’s email, personalizes his own version, and sends it to more people.

“I communicate with the contacts that I have here at the club, and fortunately, I have a number of very successful business people who are extremely generous,” Keehn said. 

Slepica is grateful for all of the money the appeal has raised over the years as it has been divided into various budgets within Stillpoint Mission.

“It's been invaluable and extremely important,” Slepica said. “The fact that he sets these goals every year and he makes them and goes beyond is just incredible.” 

Smith’s goal is usually whatever amount was raised the previous year plus an extra dollar. 

“I realize this is a big ask,” Smith said in his email to friends. “It will require an unusual response for an unusual need and that’s why I’m forgoing my usual goal of $1 more. If you were ever going to consider making or increasing your donation to helping the most vulnerable in our community — or even more importantly, forwarding this to a friend or neighbor — now is the time.” 

“How can you turn this guy down when he comes and knocks on your door and asks for your help?” Keehn said.