ST. PETE STRONG
You all make us proud to live in St. Pete. You all make us St. Pete Strong.
It’s been a wild ride the last couple months in St. Pete
and around the world. While fear, sorrow, impatience
and even anger have gripped our city as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the best come
out in most. Random acts of kindness. Compassion
for the struggling. Comforting words and actions, and
a willingness to spend your own savings to help your
neighbors, your employees and people you don’t even
know. We are an amazing community, St. Pete, and at
no other time in history has this been so evident.
22 StPeteLifeMag.com May/June 2020
It would be impossible to tell the stories of every
contributed to the kindness train. From our medical
to our bus drivers, we salute each and every one of
you. In this issue, we offer up just a few stories and a
lot of kudos, for our local heroes who exemplify the
compassion and strength of St. Pete.
-Marcia Biggs, Editor
The Alexes have been supplying wholesale produce to hotels and
restaurants for nearly 30 years. “We are a small business, just my
husband, Edward, and three drivers,” says Donna. “When this hit and
all the restaurants closed I did not want to lay off anyone.” One day
as she was dropping off some fresh produce, a neighbor suggested
that other neighbors might like the drop-offs, as well. After all, most
folks were homebound and cooking every meal. Donna took the
idea and ran with it.
As word got around on social media, the calls started coming. After
only two weeks, Patriot Produce had 20 recurring customers. Within
a month, they had 200 home delivery clients. Customers choose
from a veggie box ($25), fruit box ($25) or a combo box ($35).
The variety varies depending on what’s available, says Donna. But
all boxes are hand-picked and packed and full of color – everything
from corn, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and
lettuce to pineapple, mangoes, bananas, lemons and limes.
The demand keeps the Alexes and their drivers busy. Edward will call
in orders to their supplier, then they get up at 2am Monday through
Saturday and head to Tampa Hillsborough Market where they
purchase the wholesale produce which comes from local, national
and international farmers. They divvy up the orders and the drivers,
wearing masks and gloves, deliver to homes.
For now, they deliver mainly near their Snell Isle home and around
downtown St. Pete. Donna says she foresees demand continuing for
home-delivered produce, even when the economic climate returns
to normal. “It’s the way of the future now,” she says.
To place an order with Patriot Produce, call (727) 224-4834.
Donna and Edward Alex / Patriot Produce
/StPeteLifeMag.com