What’s Good In Tampa Bay
Ann Kelly discusses the food gap with Juvenile Welfare Board CEO Beth Houghton, and their proactive approach to make sure families in need have fresh food this summer with free food distribution events. For additional information on their collaboration with the St. Pete Free Clinic, visit their site at www.jwbpinellas.org.
Listen to the interview:
This summer there will be four more opportunities for families in Pinellas County to receive free fresh food from a drive-through mobile food pantry. The next food pantry is scheduled for Saturday, June 29th in Palm Harbor and the first food drive served over 400 families this past Saturday.
An email news release from the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) and St. Petersburg Free Clinic (SPFC) provided details about this and the other five free food events that they anticipate will help feed about 2,000 families.
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JWB’s Chief Executive Officer Beth Houghton says the groups will distribute fresh food. She says these events are important to a lot of families. “Things like housing are getting more expensive, other things are getting more expensive, and while wages are moving up, they are not keeping up. Particularly for families with middle incomes or lower.”In addition, Houghton says a lot of kids rely on their school to provide meals for them. “The estimate is in Pinellas County, 1 in 8 kids are food insecure. It doesn’t mean they are starving, but it means on any given day they might miss a meal.”
“JWB is committed to ensuring no child goes hungry. We invest $4.2M in bulk food with the St. Pete Free Clinic, which then distributes to food banks and pantries across Pinellas County,” Houghton said.
According to the press release, each “family will receive a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins/meats, dairy, eggs, cereals, canned goods, and more – approximately 52+ pounds of food per family. A total of 21,000 pounds of food will be given away at each event, which equates to 126,000 pounds of food distributed across the six events when summer ends.”
Here is a list of all six summer food events: www.jwbpinellas.org/calendar/free-summer-food-for-families/
Read the article as originally published at https://www.wmnf.org/palm-harbor-saturday-pinellas-families-get-free-fresh-fruits-vegetables-meats/
MANATEE COUNTY
Britney Vela is doing what she knows best, serving food to people in need. She has been working at Our Daily Bread in Bradenton for 10 years. As the food pantry manager, she ensures all the food is organized and the volunteers are on task.
“If we weren’t here, and you were hungry, how would you get a meal? You’d end up breaking a law, having to go somewhere or dumpster diving. Being able to prevent that is a blessing,” she said.
She said giving free food and warm meals is a blessing that people desperately need right now.
“The price of food has gone up. Rent, gas. And they live off a fixed income, and their checks aren’t going up. But the cost of living is. So thankfully for them, we’re here and we can, you know, help with that,” she said.
Britney says more people need help. Our Daily Bread produced 20% more meals this March compared to March 2023. Their food pantry has increased production by 40% compared to this time last year, helping more than 10,000 people save money and get the food they need.
“That makes them able, you know, to have that extra money to meet rent, meet their light bills, meet their water bills and their kids,” she said.
They serve roughly 300 families every day with food pantry items, basic care products, and meals.
“Protein is important. Kids are growing,” she said. “Everybody deserves to have a good dinner. Everybody deserves it. Nobody should go hungry,” she said.
Britney knows what it’s like for people who need help because, at one point, she did too. She had just moved to the county as a single mom of two young kids with only $200 in her pocket.
“Just being able to know that help and now what that help feels like is a blessing, a very big blessing,” she said.
She’s already made a difference for her family and is now offering the same help to those in need.
The soup kitchen is open every single day from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The pantry is open Mondays and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
PINELLAS COUNTY
There was a food drive through event in St. Petersburg on Saturday to help fill the gap this summer for families in need.
One in eight kids in Pinellas County are food insecure, which is why local organizations hosted a drive-thru food pantry for the summer.
The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County and St. Petersburg Free Clinic are hosting six drive-thru pantry events for the summer, and the first one was on Saturday. Officials tell us that this summer they will be feeding more than 2,000 families. They explained why this summer is crucial to fill the gap for families compared to past years. Officials say it is because of the increased cost of basic necessities like groceries.
Each family will receive more than 50 pounds of food at each event. That includes items like fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat, as well as canned goods and other non-perishable items. Altogether, at the end of the summer, they will have donated 120,000 pounds of food to families in the county.
Beth Houghton, CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board, said, “And so this summer, you have this time where rents have been going up, utilities have been going up. Wages are not going up as much. Food costs are up for families really in a crisis this summer, more than we’ve seen for a few years.”
Their next drive-thru food event will be on June 29 at the Feast Food Pantry in St. Petersburg.
Watch the Bay news 9 interview with JWB CEO Beth Houghton at https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/06/23/more-families-in-need-of-food-in-the-tampa-bay-area-
The number of families struggling to put food on the table keeps growing.
The Juvenile Welfare Board says one in eight children in Pinellas County is food insecure.
“But summer is even worse, because school is not in session all summer, kids are at home more, and they don’t have school food to rely on all the way through the summer,” Juvenile Welfare Board CEO Houghton said.
Houghton says the two big gaps in resources in the summer are between the end of the school year and start of summer school, and at the end of the summer before the school year starts back up.
The JWB and St. Pete Free Clinic are partnering to hold six drive-thru mobile food pantries over the summer to serve a total of 2,000 families in Pinellas County.
“Every single car that’s going through this line has a story,” Houghton said.
Houghton says cars lined up at the drive-thru food pantry on Saturday in Clearwater to receive bags of fresh groceries.
“It takes a village to raise five kids,” one father of five said.
Houghton says food insecurity has continued to grow post-pandemic.
“Pushing 50% of our families in our county are either at or below the poverty level, or most of those, about 35%, give or take, are at or below just a living wage,” she said.
Families at the drive-thru food pantry say they feel the economic burden every day.
“I feel it every day, trying to make sure they’re fed, make sure they have a roof over their head and everything,” one father said.
At the drive-thru food pantry, families received fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, meats and other groceries. Event organizers also provided families with resources to other food pantries throughout Pinellas County.
“It means a lot, because a lot of us, it’s hard because I work, but still can’t afford a lot of stuff, so with a little bit of extra help would help the community a lot,” one father said.
Organizers say rising rent costs, prices at the grocery store and everyday bills often force families to choose between paying one of those bills or putting food on the table.
On Saturday, they say around 400 families left with groceries and resources.
“It is always very, incredibly touching,” Houghton said. “There are tears, there are ‘Bless you’. There’s always incredible gratitude. Often, often we hear, ‘I don’t know what I would’ve done without this.’”
The Juvenile Welfare Board and St. Pete Free clinic are holding several other drive-thru food pantries this summer.
To find more information on these events, click here.
View the news segment and interview with JWB CEO Beth Houghton at https://www.fox13news.com/news/drive-thru-food-pantries-pinellas-county-helping-struggling-families-over-summer
Several families in need were able to put food on the table thanks to local organizations who partnered together.
The Juvenile Welfare Board and St. Pete Free Clinic gave out hundreds of meals.
Families received food like fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, canned goods, and more.
“Even though I do work, it’s still hard to have food for your household,” said Chery Harris, a mother of three.
The event started at 9 a.m., but cars were lined up hours before the event started.
“Most of the folks you would see here in this line, one or both of the adults in the household are working, which is why we scheduled this on a Saturday,” said Beth Houghton, with JWB.
Juvenile Welfare Board’s CEO, Beth Houghton, said they are committed to ensuring no child goes hungry, and invest $4.2 million in bulk food with the St. Pete Free Clinic.
During the summer, Houghton said they wanted to come up with a solution to help bridge the gap of children who may not have access to food.
“It was clear that we were going to have two really big gaps this summer where kids were not at school getting food, but would go a week or two weeks without access to school food,” she said.
According to Houghton, families face several challenges in today’s world, including COVID funds ending.
“Higher rent and higher food costs, and other costs where families’ incomes do not keep up, there are just a lot of people who are strapped,” Houghton said.
Mothers like Harris said nobody should be starving, and that as a working mother, it’s still hard to put food on the table.
“You can go to the grocery store and spend $100 and come out with three bags. What’s three bags that’s going to last a week, not very much,” she said. “At least with this, you’ll have something to add to whatever you have in your household.”
More than 50 pounds of food were given away to each family, with several volunteers dedicating their time to help make a difference.
“Keep in mind tonight, if you sit down with your kids and have food in the pantry or refrigerator that you can pull out, without worrying, how fortunate you are,” Houghton said.
This event was one of six that will be taking place this summer. For a list of all of the summer events, click here.
Watch the interview with JWB CEO Beth Houghton at https://www.wfla.com/news/hundreds-line-up-as-local-organizations-partner-to-feed-kids-during-the-summer/
This summer there will be six opportunities for families in Pinellas County to receive free fresh food from a drive-through mobile food pantry.
The first one is on Saturday, June 22.
It’s at the JWB Parking Lot, 14155 58th Street North in Clearwater (33760) from 9:00 a.m. until noon (while supplies last).
An email news release from the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) and St. Petersburg Free Clinic (SPFC) provided details about this and the other five free food events that they anticipate will help feed about 2,000 families.
“A perfect storm is brewing for struggling families,” stated Beth Houghton, JWB Chief Executive Officer. “Summer is always a challenge, given so many children count on school meals for their daily nutrition. This summer is particularly tough since a pandemic-initiated stipend of $300 per child will end for families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, otherwise known as Summer EBT. This comes at a time of high housing, utility, and food costs, and the gap-weeks before and after summer school are of particular concern.”
“JWB is committed to ensuring no child goes hungry. We invest $4.2M in bulk food with the St. Pete Free Clinic, which then distributes to food banks and pantries across Pinellas County,” Houghton said. “We will access these investments to distribute free fresh food to families at six drive-thru mobile sites in mid, north, and south Pinellas County, starting this Saturday.”
According to the press release, each “family will receive a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins/meats, dairy, eggs, cereals, canned goods, and more – approximately 52+ pounds of food per family. A total of 21,000 pounds of food will be given away at each event, which equates to 126,000 pounds of food distributed across the six events when summer ends.”
Here is a list of all six summer food events: www.jwbpinellas.org/calendar/free-summer-food-for-families/
Read the article as originally published at https://www.wmnf.org/six-opportunities-for-pinellas-families-to-get-free-fresh-fruits-vegetables-meats
With school out, and students no longer will have access to free meals at school, there’s help this weekend to help pack the fridge with free fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and more. Pinellas County families in need are welcome to join the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) and St. Petersburg Free Clinic (SPFC) for the first of six drive-through mobile food pantries this Saturday. This event will be in the JWB Parking Lot located at 14155 58th in Clearwater.
“A perfect storm is brewing for struggling families,” stated Beth Houghton, JWB Chief Executive Officer. “Summer is always a challenge, given so many children count on school meals for their daily nutrition. This summer is particularly tough since a pandemic-initiated stipend of $300 per child will end for families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, otherwise known as Summer EBT. This comes at a time of high housing, utility, and food costs, and the gap-weeks before and after summer school are of particular concern.”
Each family will receive around approximately 52 pounds of food. But this is on a first come, first served basis that begins and noon and is scheduled to end at noon. If you are not able to join in this first event, I can show you where the next five will be by clicking here.
Read the article as originally published at https://www.wduv.com/entertainment/mobile-food-pantry-event/NLECSKAQONDY3NC5MMYXRFIP5A/
The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) is pleased to announce that Robbi Stivers has been named Chief Financial Officer of the organization. “We are extremely fortunate to have Robbi join our team,” stated Beth Houghton, JWB Chief Executive Officer. “He has extensive experience navigating the intricacies of government finance in top executive roles, mainly in higher education, and has a track record for demonstrating strong accountability and transparency, making him a good fit for our organization.”
See the original coverage as published at https://stpetecatalyst.com/shuffle/robbi-stivers/
Surrounded by homes in the Lealman neighborhood in Pinellas County, sits a small family center.
It is called the Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center. The word “Asian” is in the title because so many of the students and families it serves are of Asian descent.
Thuat Truong has worked at the center for 19 years. The kids call her Mrs. T.
“We have lot of Vietnamese students, they came from Vietnam. And I help them to learn English here,” said Thuat Truong, the program coordinator.
Many of the students and their parents do not know English when they first move to the U.S. or arrive at the center. So getting homework done with the students is a big stress reliever for parents.
But it is not just kids Mrs. T helps. She assists the parents too. Trang Truong is a friend and a person Thuat Truong helped several years ago. They are not related.
Trang Truong immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s and remembers the fear that came with that enormous life change.
“A lot of struggle,” said Trang. “The first few months we feel like a fish out of water.”
The center helped Trang and her husband with English classes.
They both then were able to graduate from college in the Bay area, and their children have now graduated from college too. All of them are now successfully in the workforce.
“My son Kevin is the manager of my alteration shop at St. Pete Beach,” said Trang Truong with a proud smile.
Trang Truong’s story is just one of many who have found community, friendship, and growth at the family center.
“We have a growing Vietnamese community,” said Caterina Tassara Runyon, the head of Communications & Development at the Lealman & Asian Neighborhood Family Center. “We have a Laotian community that speaks Laotian from Laos. We have a Hmong community; we have a Chinese community.”
This part of Pinellas County has become a landing spot for many Asian American families.
“Our demographics nationwide are at about 6%. So, the fact that a small city like Pinellas Park has 12% population of Asian descent, that’s a huge number,” said Runyon.
The staff at the center speak as many languages as the families they serve. But it is more than language, it is about culture and heritage.
“English is not my first language,” said Runyon. “And as an immigrant myself to the United States, I so can relate to the challenges of being a child and having English not be your first language and being afraid.”
The recognition of keeping one’s heritage but also assimilating into their new nationality, that is the balance many families find important at the center.
To Trang Truong, being American is very important. But she does not want to forget where she came from either.
“I still want to keep my culture,” said Trang Truong. “Keep my culture, my language and some parts of Vietnam; we still want to keep them.”
Much of the funding for the Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center comes from the Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board.
They help people with finding many resources in the community including childcare, health insurance, jobs, and access to unemployment.
Read the article and view the news segment as published at https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/05/28/lealman-asian-vietnamese-pinellas-family
Hundreds of Pinellas County School students participated in the Fred Fisher water safety program in Clearwater Wednesday.
The program is two weeks long for kindergarten through second-grade students in Title I schools.
Clearwater For Youth, the City of Clearwater, the Juvenile Welfare Board, and the Florida Swim Foundation worked together to provide the instructors, funding and transportation for the program.
“The blessing is that kids can come during the school day. Parents are signing the permission slip to allow get them to get on a bus and come to receive the water safety lesson,” three-time Olympic Champion and Clearwater For Youth Development Manager Brooke Bennett said.
During their lessons, students go over rules and tips on how to stay safe when around water.
Some exercises taught during Wednesday’s class included bubble blowing and back floating.
“It is very overwhelming at times because you can see the fear on their face, but you also see the trust that they have with the instructors,” Bennett said.
One way you can help fund water safety classes in Florida is by signing up for the new “Swim For Life” license plate.
A donor has already given the funds for 3,000 plates that will benefit the Florida Swim Foundation.
“They can sign up for free, and then the second year when they renew their plate, the $30 cost, $25 dollars of that fee comes right back to our foundation and all of that money goes for swim lessons,” Florida Swimming Pool Association CEO Elizabeth McMurray said.
For details regarding the “Swim For Life” license plates, click here.
View the video segment and read the article as originally published at https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/program-bringing-water-safety-classes-to-pinellas-county-title-i-schools/