Category: Blog
Funded Partner Spotlight: Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay
Every month, 250 adopted Grandmas, Grandpas, Nanas and Pop-pops report to elementary school classrooms throughout the community. Part of the Foster Grandparents Program operated by Foundation funded partner Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, these dedicated 55+ volunteers aid teachers, mentor students, support schools, and, in the process, perhaps help themselves. “I get a lot […]
Funded Partner Spotlight: Life From Inside Out!
As someone who served time in the carceral system, John Bailey says he’s seen struggles with re-entry and recidivism first-hand. “Guys would talk about how hard it was, some were afraid to go home because they didn’t feel prepared, and they’d end up back in prison” he explained. As a 2024 funded partner, Bailey hopes […]
Staff Reflections on 2023
This past year, the Foundation re-opened our Center for Health Equity – and co-created roughly 80 equity-focused events. We deepened our work with our local hospitals and the city through our Anchors Collaborative, working with partners like Pinellas County Urban League and Career Source Pinellas to hold job fairs and training opportunities for South St. […]
Don’t have time to read the full BIPOC Mental Health Scan? We’ve got you!
Below we answer five key questions to break down some of the report’s most important information. 1. Why was the BIPOC mental health scan done and what was its purpose? The purpose of the scan, which was conducted on the Foundation’s behalf by Dr. Keesha Benson and Dr. Stephanie Reed, is to better understand […]
Funded Partner Spotlight: Collective Empowerment Group of the Tampa Bay Area
About a decade ago, Imam Askia Muhammad Aquil had just finished up a Community Real Estate Development (CRED) course at USF and was looking for his next step. A passionate activist and advocate with a background in community housing, he was wrestling with a big question: How could he help uplift neighborhoods struggling with legacies […]
Juneteenth: The Road to Emancipation
Juneteenth, a combination of the words June and nineteenth, is considered the longest-running African American holiday. Commemorating the day when enslaved people were finally informed of their freedom, Juneteenth is a time of jubilation, celebration, reunion and remembrance. It is celebrated throughout the nation in states that officially observe the holiday and in those that […]
Staff Q&A: Interim Co-CEO Carl Lavender, Jr.
Carl R. Lavender Jr. joined the staff of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg in 2018. He served as the senior director of programs and then our chief equity officer before taking the reins as interim co-CEO last summer. Barbara Green, who serves as communications manager for the Foundation, recently sat down with Carl […]
Knowledge is Power and Data Can Look Scary: 3 Tips to Boost Your Confidence
Accurate data interpretation is immensely important in our pursuit of racial equity at the Foundation for a Healthy Saint Petersburg. We understand its crucial role in making informed decisions that positively impact our community. But let’s be honest. Data, charts, and graphs can be overwhelming for many, especially when they relate to something we care […]
Evaluation – A Tool for Learning
As a researcher and evaluator, I know all too well that evaluation can elicit a certain type of response from nonprofit and community practitioners. While I’m always hopeful that the response will be overwhelming joy, more often than not it more closely resembles fear that their program or initiative is about to come under harsh […]