JWB Community Collaborations Coordinator Cristen Curley shares how the Meal Mobile began, partnered with the JWB Book Bus, and made a significant impact, providing shelf-stable food to families in Pinellas during the summer. 

One of the main goals of the Childhood Hunger Initiative (CHI) is to fill gaps in food access when school is out since students no longer have access to regular school meals during those times. The largest of these gaps is during summer break. In 2025, the issue was especially pressing because Pinellas County Schools significantly reduced eligibility for Summer Bridge programs, further limiting students’ access to meals.  

In 2024, JWB partnered with several food banks to distribute food through drive-up mobile pantries. While these pantries were successful and all food was distributed, we recognized the need to further increase accessibility – especially in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which left many vulnerable community members unhoused.  

In response, the collective began looking for ways to bring food directly to communities. Shaina Bent, former COO of the St. Pete Free Clinic (SPFC) and former Chair of the CHI, suggested having an SPFC food truck follow the Book Bus, and thus, the Meal Mobile was born!    

JWB has a long-standing collaborative history with SPFC, both as a funded agency and through our former CEO Beth Houghton, who previously served as SPFC’s CEO. This made the partnership a natural fit and an extension of our shared work.  

Since the Book Bus sites had already been confirmed, I reached out to each site to discuss plans for bringing food onsite. Every site I spoke with was enthusiastic about the idea and excited to offer food to the families they serve.  

During this time, we also worked with SPFC and their vendors to determine the contents of the shelf-stable boxes and produce offerings. Ultimately, the produce included apples and oranges, and the boxes contained canned vegetables, fruit, beans, chicken, tuna, applesauce, pasta, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, and cereal bars. We also secured a generous donation of spices from Penzey’s Spices to enhance the produce offerings. Additionally, each food box included a magnet with a QR code linking to the SPFC Food Pantry Map (which JWB funds).  

While many sites opted for the drop-off method, where SPFC staff left boxes for children to take home at pickup, several public-facing sites allowed us to distribute food directly to patrons. 

Future plans for the Meal Mobile will depend on debriefs with both our community partners and SPFC. Our goals include streamlining delivery and distribution processes, ensuring sites are well-equipped to participate, and expanding to more locations. Ideally, we’d love for every Book Bus stop to include food distribution. With that in mind—and staying focused on accessibility and high-impact outreach—we’ll be working with Jomar Lopez, Senior Strategic Researcher, to evaluate our efforts and use the Child Opportunity Index (COI) to ensure impact and meeting of goals. 

JWB’s Childhood Hunger Initiative works year-round to fill in the gaps for hungry kids. To learn more, visit jwbpinellas.org/childhood-hunger/.

On Friday, February 14th, JWB hosted the annual Children’s Summit at St. Petersburg College with the theme “For the Love of Kids.” More than 200 community leaders, key influencers, and child advocates gathered to celebrate JWB’s impact and shared commitment to the children of Pinellas County. 

JWB Board Chair Judge Patrice Moore welcomed attendees, recognized board members, and shared briefly what JWB means to her. CEO Beth Houghton followed with highlights from 2024, noting that JWB-funded programs served nearly 80,000 children and families and partnered with dozens of organizations in initiatives and campaigns. 

Attendees then viewed the FY2024 Annual Report Video showcasing JWB’s investments, including 12 new programs aligned with strategic goals, expanded funding to stabilize the workforce, and increased outreach to families. The video also highlighted JWB’s rapid response to emergent needs, such as funding gaps and hurricane relief, as well as the strength of its partnerships in driving positive outcomes for kids. 

Beth and St. Petersburg College President Dr. Tonjua Williams then led an interactive Kahoot! game, testing attendees on key topics from the video. The top scorers included Jesse Turtle (SPC Foundation), Hunter Parkinson (6^th Judicial Court), and JWB Board member PCS Superintendent Kevin Hendrick. 

To conclude, attendees shared words describing their reactions to what they learned from the summit, forming a word cloud that included “informed, educated, inspired, and hopeful.”  

Each guest also received a children’s book to give away in honor of International Give a Book Day, thanks to Brianna Ray and Elicia Hinson, who curated several age-appropriate selections. A Grade Level Reading resource table, set up by Brianna, provided additional books and information. 

JWB extends gratitude to the Pinellas County School Board, government officials, partner agencies, board members, staff, and volunteers who contributed to this successful event. 

To view our 2024 Annual Report Video, click here. 

To view more event photos, click here. 

Mental illness costs the economy about $200 billion in lost earnings each year. That’s why it’s so important to normalize conversations about mental health, especially in the C-suite. Mental health is physical health, but too often shame and stigma prevent employees from seeking treatment. When leaders openly share their own emotional and mental health challenges, it models this behavior, so employees feel safe to do so as well.

In Tampa Bay Thrives’ 2023 Resident Mental Health Study, 14% (a 4% increase over the previous year) of respondents reported missing work due to a mental or emotional condition, and the typical employee missed 4 days per month. This corresponds to a loss of 524,500 workdays per month or 6.3 million workdays per year, a significant increase from 2022.

At The Mosaic Company, the world’s leading integrated producer of concentrated phosphate and potash, some company huddles begin with a mental health query: “How is everyone doing today? Let’s check on how you’re feeling.” It’s all part of a psychological wellness program rolled out by Mosaic three years ago that moves beyond the risk reduction environment to one that centers around overall wellness: physical, psychological, and financial health.

This year, Tampa Bay Thrives is partnering with companies such as, The Mosaic Company, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, and Polk County Board of County Commissioners, to guide them on their journey to becoming Bell Seal certified. The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a national certification program recognizing employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces.

Mental health isn’t just about one person. It affects the entire family. Our generation of young people has experienced multiple traumatic events: the pandemic, school shootings, widespread environmental and natural disasters, and global humanitarian crises. More than half (54%) of all Mental Health America screenings were completed by children and young adults under 25, and screenings skyrocketed by over 594% from 2019 to 2022.

Parents with children under 18 make up 40% of the workforce, and, beyond that Gen Z-ers are the future of our workforce. If the kids are not alright, neither are working caregivers. 1 in 3 Tampa Bay residents does not feel comfortable talking with their children about mental health. The main reason is that parents fear they might upset their children or make them worry unnecessarily.

Tampa Bay Thrives has engaged over 1,000 individuals, youth, parents, teachers, and providers to support our children’s mental health and will convene stakeholders and leaders to build a transformational approach in 2024.
Tampa Bay Thrives needs CEOs, employers, and business leaders to join the mental health movement! You play a pivotal role in helping shape a more mentally healthy future. The benefits and culture around mental health support that you or your company provides can create the ripple effect that leads to saved lives and systems change.
Join the movement, together, for a better tomorrow.

Deputy Sheriff Tyler Wilson recalls how he overcame the stigma to seek help in our #IYKYK campaign.

“While serving my community as a Deputy Sheriff, I began to experience severe PTSD symptoms, including flashbacks, depression, and anxiety. I had been exposed to multiple critical incidents, one involving a shooting with a suicidal individual and another with a terribly violent traffic crash involving the death of multiple children. The flashbacks and other symptoms became so severe that I seriously contemplated taking my own life to end the pain.

I sought help through my Employee Assistance Program, only to find the counselor inept at dealing with the severity of the trauma I had experienced. I also met with a psychiatrist who quickly prescribed me strong and habit-forming medications, which didn’t feel like the right fit for me.

Luckily through perseverance, I found a therapist who better fit my needs, and she was able to help guide me out of the darkness. I was also blessed to be treated by a cutting-edge virtual reality treatment. These treatments are the reason I am able to share my story today. I am now fortunate enough to speak nationwide about my experience and assist others in their healing process.”

Read the article as originally published at https://tbbwmag.com/2023/12/06/the-economic-impact-of-mental-health/