Beginning Tuesday, August 11, Pinellas Technical College's Clearwater campus will open a food pantry for members of the community who need assistance.

The Pantry will be open from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Building 7.

Visitors should enter through the double doors facing the parking lot, sign in when they arrive, and bring their own bags for groceries.

📍 Pinellas Technical College - Clearwater
🗓️ Tuesday, August 11
⏰ 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
🏫 Building 7, Room 54
🛍️ Please bring your own bags

Here's the reason this is the primary story:

You may not need this, but there's a good chance you know someone who does.

A neighbor. A senior living on a fixed income. A parent trying to stretch the grocery budget. Someone between jobs. Someone who's simply having a rough month.

There's no shame in needing a little help, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with neighbors helping neighbors.

Please share this information. The right person seeing it at the right time could make a meaningful difference this week.

Between gym memberships, pools, pickleball, tennis and fitness classes, staying active can get expensive pretty damn quickly.

But there's something many Clearwater residents may not realize they already have access to.

For incorporated Clearwater residents, an annual Clearwater Recreation Card costs just $7.

No, that doesn't mean everything in the city's recreation system suddenly becomes free. But the card provides access to Clearwater recreation centers, pools, athletic facilities and programs at either reduced rates or, depending on the amenity, no additional charge.

For regular users, there's another option worth doing the math on.

The PLUS annual add-on is $120 for the first family member, and eliminates the standard daily drop-in fee at participating recreation centers. Otherwise, the current drop-in rate with a Recreation Card is $2.81, compared with $5.61 without one.

🏋️ And These Aren't Just Little Community Rooms

Depending on the recreation center, Clearwater's facilities include:

And after last week's reopening, Clearwater once again has the renovated Long Center pool in its recreation system.

So here's the question:

Before paying for several different memberships, have you actually looked at what you're already paying for as a Clearwater resident?

If you're spending $30, $50 or considerably more every month on a gym membership, plus paying separately for swimming or other activities, it's worth comparing those costs with what Clearwater Parks & Recreation already offers.

Depending on what you use, one Recreation Card could potentially replace or reduce the need for some of those separate memberships.

There's another little-known perk: Clearwater recreation centers accept programs including SilverSneakers, Silver & Fit, Active & Fit, Renew Active, One Pass and Prime, and eligible participants can receive free access to certain recreation amenities such as fitness centers, pools and gymnasiums.

Recreation Cards are available to residents and non-residents, although the pricing is dramatically different. The current annual individual rate is $7 for incorporated Clearwater residents versus $180 for non-residents. Cards must be applied for annually in person and don't automatically renew. Resident applicants also need two qualifying proofs of residency.

So before automatically renewing that gym membership...

Do the math.

You might already have access to far more recreational facilities around Clearwater than you realized.

See Clearwater Recreation Card prices, requirements and details

This is exactly the kind of second story I'd run tonight because it pairs beautifully with the pantry story: two genuinely useful pieces of Clearwater information that people may not know about. No manufactured controversy required.

Before you load up the car, take a peek at the live beach cam to see exactly how busy it is out there. Sometimes the smartest move is knowing when to go and when to enjoy our little slice of paradise another day.

Check current water temperatures and conditions Here

Watch the live Clearwater Beach Cam Here

Our pets aren't just animals - they're family. If you've seen any of the pets below please email us at [email protected] and we will connect you directly with their families. One share could bring someone's baby home.

Zena has been missing for over 152 days from the Seville Condo area near Clearwater Costco. Her heartbroken family will not give up searching

LEARN MORE →

Leah has been missing since April 28th from the King Arthur Court in Dunedin. Her Mom has owned her since she was a puppy.

LEARN MORE →

Lobo has been missing since May 11th from Gladden Park in St. Petersburg. Her Mom has owned her since she was a puppy.

LEARN MORE →

River is a one-year-old male tabby (brown, white, and gray) who slipped out the front door on May 30th, and last seen near 134th Ave and Trotter Rd in Largo.

LEARN MORE →

Mama Kitty is a 15 year old black cat with with a clipped left ear that went missing on June 4th, and last seen near Druid and Belcher in Clearwater.

LEARN MORE →

🎸 Totally Tubular Event Wednesay August 12th - 5:00 pm Ferg’s St. Petersburg, FL INFO & TICKETS→

🤠 Wednesday Night Line Dancing — OCC Roadhouse Clearwater Free lessons. 6:00pm to 7:30pm — All ages welcome DJ Brandon takes over at 7:30pm playing requests all night 10575 49th Street North, Clearwater INFO →

🎸 Josh Higgins Thursday August 6th - FREE - 5:00 pm Crabby’s Dockside Clearwater, FL INFO→

🎸 Rivals and Villains Thursday August 13th - FREE - 7:00 pm OCC Roadhouse Clearwater, FL INFO→

READ MORE →

🚶‍♀️ SilverSneakers: Zumba Gold Class Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 am - Aging Well Center @ The Long Center, 1501 N. Belcher Road, Clearwater, 33765, View Map LEARN MORE →

🧘 Yoga Tuesday and Thursday 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm - Aging Well Center @ The Long Center, 1501 N. Belcher Road, Clearwater, 33765, View Map FEES & LEARN MORE →

🧘 Golden Hour Yoga - FREE - Wednesday at 7:00 pm - Pier 60 Clearwater Beach View Map

🚶Indoor Walking at the Countryside Mall: Beat the heat and rain with some indoor walking, grab a bite to eat, browse the shops, or catch a movie…all while letting the mall’s A/C do the heavy lifting. MAP →

If you must be out in nature, please don’t forget to bring water

🌳🥾 Beat the Heat: Peaceful Nature Parks Looking to escape the crowds and cool off in the shade this weekend? Tampa Bay is loaded with hidden natural gems, all free to explore:

🦅 Moccasin Lake Nature Park (Clearwater) — A peaceful 51-acre preserve with shaded oak trails, boardwalks over the lake, and a wildlife rehabilitation sanctuary where you can see rescued eagles, hawks, and falcons.

⛵ Clearwater Community Sailing Center A nonprofit sailing center at 1001 Gulf Blvd offering boat rentals, sailing lessons for all ages, and Summer Camp. Open Tuesday through Sunday 9am to 5pm. LEARN MORE →

🏓 Pickleball Court Locations: Here is the easiest way to find Pickleball courts near you with an interactive map. LEARN MORE →

🏖️ Near the Beach

🏙️ Inland

⚠️ Trivia nights and schedules can change. We recommend confirming directly with the venue before heading out. Know of a change or a new spot? Tell Scout →

Thanks for reading My Clearwater Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone that you think would enjoy it.

Until next time,

Stan, Scoop and Scout