JWB’s 2023 Annual Out of School Time Conference titled “The Power of You” was held on September 29th. This was a hybrid professional development conference streamed live to watch parties across the County! It was also our largest conference yet, with 636 JWB funded agency out-of-school time staff registered.
Our CEO, Beth, kicked off the event, and JWB Training Specialist Jaime Cole was an energetic emcee!
There was a dynamic panel including Zaneta N. Ellison of New Vision Behavioral Health, Janielle McCullough with Evara Health, and Alana-Maria Luczak, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from USF. They shared practical tips to help kids thrive, to build community, and to proactively address discipline.
Herbie Mack, Suicide Interventionist, shared how our inherent superpowers can improve the wellness of youth.
OST staff attendees received superpower swag, connected through a social wall, asked questions directly of the speakers, and downloaded valuable resources for their programs. And we’ve heard from many attendees that they were inspired and recharged by the Conference and have rededicated themselves to their work with Pinellas County children.
You can enjoy a photo album of the event here, and we’ll be sharing a video of this event soon, as well.
The FOCUS Faith-Based Symposium on September 28th at Anona United Methodist Church centered on the role that faith-based and social service communities play in a post-pandemic Pinellas County.
JWB Community Engagement Advocate Joanne Reich moderated a panel including Directions for Living CEO April Lott; Sandnes Boulanger with Operation PAR, Inc.; and Gabriela Holton from CASA Pinellas.
Jeanine Evoli, JWB’s Director of Family Services Initiative, also spoke.
The event drew 125 attendees who were eager to network and explore resource tables representing 16 different community agencies.
The Director of Strategic Communications for the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, April Putzulu, and Pediatric Medical Director at Evara Health, Dr. Sarah Kelley, joined Gayle Guyardo, the host of the global health and wellness show, Bloom, to share more about their early childhood campaign that aims to ensure babies remain on track developmentally.
For more information and to find easy tips, activities, and resources, visit TurboBabies.com. Parents can also sign up to join the Pit Crew to receive free gifts on their baby’s birthdays.
With a packed auditorium of Pinellas County high schoolers, the 6th Annual “Rising Above” Youth Explosion concluded its three-day event with a focus on teens and mental health on Friday, July 21st.
The event was hosted by the Clearwater Neighborhood Family Center, Juvenile Welfare Board, NAMI Pinellas, and St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus.
Highlights included a dramatic pantomime skit that depicted how mental illness affect youth and families, performed by students from the City of Clearwater’s North Greenwood Recreation Center, Arts Conservatory for Teens, and Gibbs High School. The performance was followed by a panel of youth with lived mental health experiences who courageously shared their journeys and fielded questions from their peers.
In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a rare public health advisory on youth mental health to address what he called an emerging crisis exacerbated by pandemic hardships. In May 2023, the Surgeon General once again issued a warning to Americans, calling the use of social media by children and adolescents an “urgent public health issue.”
The Juvenile Welfare Board invests in the Pinellas Children’s Mental Health Initiative, partnering with more than 100 organizations to intervene early in the lives of children, destigmatize mental illness, and host youth suicide prevention conversations to grow hope. The goal is to make caring for one’s mental health synonymous with one’s physical health.
“One day, we will only need to say health and it will be understood we mean a child’s physical and mental health,” added Rebecca Albert, Senior Strategic Initiative Manager with the Juvenile Welfare Board, who oversees the Children’s Mental Health Initiative.
Featured photos and video clips from the event are available to media upon request. Email communications@jwbpinellas.org.
The 6th Annual “Rising Above” Youth Explosion concluded its three-day event with a focus on teens and mental health. The event was hosted by the Clearwater Neighborhood Family Center, Juvenile Welfare Board, NAMI Pinellas, and St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus. Students from the City of Clearwater’s North Greenwood Recreation Center, Arts Conservatory for Teens, and Gibbs High School performed a dramatic pantomime skit that depicted how mental illness affect youth and families. The performance was followed by a panel of youth with lived mental health experiences who courageously shared their journeys and fielded questions from their peers.
All children deserve the opportunity to live, learn, grow, and thrive in homes, schools, and neighborhoods that are supportive and safe.
Consistent access to nourishing food is key to their healthy development. Yet one in five children in Pinellas County do not have enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life.
More families than ever—two in five—live below the ALICE threshold, meaning they are employed but struggle to make ends meet. And while housing, utility, and food costs are rising. But paychecks aren’t.
Recognizing the extraordinary need, JWB’s Board invested in bulk food purchases and a centralized hub with the St. Petersburg Free Clinic (SPFC). In turn, the Free Clinic orchestrates the distribution of food to dozens of partner sites, feeding children and families countywide.
“While the pandemic saw historic numbers of families seeking food assistance, their need for nutritious food is only increasing, said Jennifer Yeagley, St. Petersburg Free Clinic CEO.
“Last year, JWB led the charge in SPFC’s ability to distribute more than 20.4 million pounds of food throughout Pinellas County, serving 1.2 million individuals in 2022 alone. They do this through distributing food to partner food pantries, churches, other nonprofit organizations, neighborhood family centers, and even preschools.”
On average, the Free Clinic serves more than 135,000 individuals a month across Pinellas County, a 51% increase year over year.
This is achieved thanks to dozens of food partners across the county, like Dunedin Cares.
Kristina Garcia, Dunedin Cares Director, said need has increased since the pandemic and many cannot afford to purchase healthy meals. They’ve seen recent spikes in families with children seeking help as federal food stamp (SNAP) benefits are decreasing due to federal funds for COVID/pandemic relief ending. Therefore, Dunedin Cares’ focus is on healthy food for families, like meats, dairy, eggs, fresh produce.
Another North County partner, FEAST, serves families five days a week, including evening hours for working families—and offers special things for families with children, like providing a birthday cake on a child’s birthday!
The Free Clinic also coordinates JWB’s funded food program, distributing pre-packaged meals to kids at schools, NFCs, and after school programs and filling food gaps during weekends and summers…to the tune of 200,000 meals last year!
Plus, through partnerships with 11 preschools, their Fresh Sprouts program fosters healthy eating habits for young children, zero to five, offering weekly fresh produce, recipe cards, and even interactive activity ideas to promote connection at mealtime for families!
The Free Clinic also partners with JWB’s Neighborhood Family Centers to stock their pantries and support food distribution efforts, reaching families where they live and serving special populations.
Anthony Verdeja, Family Center on Deafness Director, said, “We are so grateful for SPFC. The deaf community did try to take advantage of the food pantries in the area but were not able to communicate with the folks working there. We fill that need once a month.”
Verdeja also shared that many families are asking for more food, not necessarily for themselves, but to share with others in their neighborhood, and that these families feel more secure knowing that can receive as much food as they need.
Thanks to JWB’s investments in the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Pinellas families can put healthy, nutritious food on their tables…and take at least one worry off their plates!
Jennifer Yeagley, St. Petersburg Free Clinic CEO, said, “We would not be able to keep children healthy, focused, and growing without the critical support of JWB.”
On July 21, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Brian Aungst Jr., Kristen Gnage, Michael Mikurak, James Millican, and Melissa Rutland to the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.
Brian Aungst Jr.
Aungst is an Attorney and Shareholder at Macfarlane Ferguson and McMullen, P.A. Active in his community, he serves on the Pinellas County Charter Review Board. Aungst earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and telecommunications and his juris doctor from the University of Florida.
Kristen Gnage
Gnage is the Assistant State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. She is a member of the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Gnage earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston College and her juris doctor from Stetson University.
Michael Mikurak
Mikurak is currently retired. He was previously an International Consulting Partner for Accenture, PLC, and currently serves as Chairman of the board of HEPCO Holdings, LLC. Mikurak earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Rider University.
James Millican
Millican is the Division Chief and Fire Marshall of Lealman Fire District. He is the Chairman of the Lealman Asian Neighborhood Family Center and a board member of the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board. Millican earned his emergency medical technician and state firefighter certification from St. Petersburg College.
Melissa Rutland
Rutland is the President of the Rutland Florida Gulf Group. She serves on the St. Petersburg Area YMCA Board of Directors and is a member of the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute. Rutland earned her bachelor’s degree from Flagler College.
These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
On June 28th, JWB Director of Strategic Communications April Putzulu was presented the Florida Commission on the Status of Women “Spirit of Community” Award.
She was one of 11 women from across the state celebrated by the Commission and their colleagues, peers, family, and friends during a luncheon in Orlando. April is the sole winner in the Tampa Bay region. JWB CEO Beth Houghton and several of April’s colleagues were thrilled to accompany her to Orlando and celebrate this professional accolade.
April was recognized for nearly four decades of service to Florida’s children and families and her passion for developing creative prevention programs and campaigns—many of which remain in existence today.
Today, at JWB, April continues to change the lives of children and families in Pinellas County, creating and leading innovative and high-impact public education and awareness campaigns.
She created the Sleep Baby Safely campaign, which has reduced the number of infant deaths in Pinellas County by half, was recently recognized as a best practice, and, as of 2023, is being replicated statewide.
April is currently leading a new birth-to-three campaign, Turbo Babies, to support parents and caregivers as their child’s first and best teachers by sharing Turbo Tips and everyday activities that encourage early connections and nurture a baby’s drive to learn.
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women (the Commission) has honored JWB Director of Communications April Putzulu with its Spirit of Community Award.
Eleven women across the state of Florida were recognized, but April is the only Tampa Bay honoree. She was celebrated for 36 years of service to Florida’s children and families and her passion for developing creative prevention programs and campaigns—many of which remain in existence today.
April’s career has centered on children and youth; first as a probation officer with the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and later with Operation PAR leading substance prevention programs, which resulted in two National Safe & Drug Free Schools designations. Next, motivated by her belief that all children should have opportunities, April oversaw the strategic work of DJJ Boards and Councils that led to new Teen Court programs and the first PACE Centers for Girls in Pinellas and Pasco counties.
Moving from delinquency to child welfare, April has also served as a connector of people and ideas. She was instrumental in forging a relationship with the Tampa Bay Rays, Rays pitcher James Shields, and his wife Ryane to form the Big Game James Club, giving hundreds of foster children the opportunity to attend major league baseball games each year.
Passionate about finding forever homes for foster children, she led efforts to create the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco, and partnered with the media on feature stories, including the viral piece by Tampa Bay Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lane DeGregory about 16-year-old Davion who wanted “someone, anyone” to adopt him.
Here at JWB, April continues to change the lives of children and families in Pinellas County. Over the last decade she has significantly expanded JWB’s major public education and awareness campaigns. She created the Sleep Baby Safely campaign, which has reduced the number of infant deaths in Pinellas County by half, was recently recognized as a best practice, and, as of 2023, is being replicated statewide.
April is currently leading a new birth-to-three campaign, Turbo Babies, fueled by JWB to support parents and caregivers as their child’s first and best teachers by sharing Turbo Tips and everyday activities that encourage early connections and nurture a baby’s drive to learn.
JWB CEO Beth Houghton said, “April has dedicated her life to service. While the world’s problems are indeed great, her desire to improve the lives of others is far greater. She does not see the obstacles that overwhelm most but eyes opportunities to improve the lives of others. April was once described to me by a peer as ‘someone whose heart makes it happen.’ I couldn’t agree more. We’re proud to have April at JWB—and to celebrate this great honor with her.”
