Most Tampa Bay area students have two weeks left of summer break, which means it’s time to start thinking about getting new backpacks and school supplies ready for the first day. 

The 2024 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday begins Monday, July 29 and runs until Sunday, August 11.

Tax-free items during this stretch include many typical school supplies that are $50 or less, clothes and shoes that are $100 or less per item, and laptops, calculators, or tablets that cost $1,500 or less.  Puzzles, some books, and toys that teach reading or math skills are also covered under this sales tax holiday.

If purchasing a new backpack and needed supplies are a financial strain, organizations like the James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family Center provides these items free of cost.

Through funding from the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, the Sanderlin Center had hundreds of backpacks and bundles of school supplies available. To pick up a backpack, visit their location at 2335 22nd Ave S between 5:30 – 7 p.m. on Thursdays. You must have your child present and they will be allowed to pick out their favorite design.

“We will be giving them out as part of our Thriving Thursday food pantry, so families just need to come in with their child and pick out a backpack and school supplies to take home,” program director Jessica Evans explained.

If you don’t live in St. Pete but are in need of similar assistance, you can give the center a call and they will help connect you to resources in your area.

Dexter McCree, who works as a case manager for the center, says it’s important to not let a child feel the same financial burdens adults do so this is a perfect opportunity to get supplies in a stress-free way. McCree says sending your child to school with confidence is the most important thing.

“Invest in education more than in shoes and clothes that are going wear out and you gotta do it all over again in a year,” he said.

If you want to lend a hand, the City of St. Pete is hosting two school supply drives.

Anyone wanting to make a donation can drop items off at the Bay Vista Recreation Center through July 31 or the St. Pete Greenhouse in downtown until August 2. Items will be distributed at a backpack giveaway event on August 10.

View the news segment and read the article as originally published at https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/07/29/two-week-long-back-to-school-tax-holiday-begins-monday

If you’re searching for a way to give back to your community, the Catalyst’s Impact Connector is here to help. Each week, we feature five organizations in the Tampa Bay area that need your input, whether that’s time, talent, items, funding or simply awareness. We’re certain you’ll find something here that matches your interests and will positively impact the community.

Turbo Babies Pit Crew Bag Packing Party

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County is looking for volunteers to help stuff bags for its Turbo Babies campaign. The bags are filled with items used to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of early learning and development during the ages of 0-3.

Bag packing will take place at the Juvenile Welfare Board’s main office in Clearwater July 31 through Aug. 2. Interested volunteers can sign up online here: https://forms.office.com/r/Fz6nPURvuu

Supplies needed for St. Pete school drive

The City of St. Petersburg is hosting two school supply drives this summer to prepare local students for the upcoming school year. Those wishing to make a donation can do so at Bay Vista Recreation Center through July 31 and at The St. Pete Greenhouse through Aug. 2.

Suggested donations include: Backpacks, folders and binders, composition notebooks, notebook paper, pens and pencils, crayons and markers, glue sticks, rulers and scissors.

Help families from war-torn countries

Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services is making an urgent appeal for financial assistance and other resources to support refugee families and individuals who have been resettled in the region because of war and conflict in their home countries, such as Ukraine and Afghanistan. The nonprofit has assisted over 3,000 people who hope to rebuild their lives locally in the past two years, but is now struggling to continue as living costs rise throughout Tampa Bay.

You can donate online to help keep families housed here. The nonprofit is also looking for temporary, free or low-cost housing options and employers willing to hire refugee individuals who are authorized to work. Reach out to GulfCoastinfo@gcjfcs.org if you can help.

Provide nutritious meals for families facing hunger

This summer, one in four children are facing hunger in the 10-county region across the West Central coast of Florida. The pause in school meals during summer vacation means that many students in our community are left without enough to eat. Without regular meals at school, children are at risk of going hungry. Your support can provide the meals that give them the energy they need to play and have fun during summer vacation.

Feeding Tampa Bay is working to give vital food and relief to families struggling to keep up with the high cost of living. Donate online here to help make sure every local child has nutritious meals this summer.

Volunteer with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida

Interested in working with girls or other adults? Volunteer as a troop leader and help girls become go-getters as they work on specific projects throughout the year. You can also take an indirect role as a Cookie Coordinator or family volunteer and watch as they learn innovative skills that help them reach goals. You can even coach a group of girls as they take risks on an outdoor adventure designed just for them.

If you prefer to work with adults, you can provide the kind of behind-the-scenes support that inspires girls to take the lead and share their passions with their community. There are countless ways to lend your time to support Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. Learn more and sign up by clicking here.

By engaging in these five impactful ways to give back, we can empower our communities and contribute to a more compassionate society. If your organization is seeking volunteers, donations or awareness, click here to submit your opportunity. We’ll get the word out to our readers.

View this article as originally published at https://stpetecatalyst.com/five-ways-7-27-24/

The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County opened up three health clinics for parents to take their kids to get back-to-school services for the upcoming year.

The free clinics will provide school, sports and wellness physicals including immunizations for children in kindergarten through grade 12, according to a news release.

The services have to be made by appointment and are available on select dates Monday through Thursday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Boca Ciega High School, Gibbs High School and Pinellas Park High School.

A parent or guardian must bring the child’s immunization and medical records and be present with them for the appointment. If parents cannot be present, they can fill out a form in advance to be brought to the appointment.

Any Pinellas children entering kindergarten on Aug. 12 or any students enrolling in the state for the first time have to present a school entrance physical, dated within one year of school enrollment. 

Vision screenings and basic dental services will also be available. Assistance in obtaining glasses and eye exams for those without insurance will be provided for people who qualify at all locations from 8 a.m. to noon. The dental services including oral health assessments, hygiene instruction, sealants, fluoride treatment and referrals are available at Pinellas Park High School. 

The clinics are a partnership with the Juvenile Welfare Board, the Pinellas County School Board, Suncoast Center, Inc. and the administrators of Boca Ciega, Gibbs, Northeast, Largo and Pinellas Park High Schools. 

The upcoming dates are July 29-31 and Aug. 1, 5-8 at Gibbs High School; July 24-25, 29-31 and Aug. 1, 5-8 at Pinellas Park High School; and July 29-31 and Aug. 1, 5-8 at Boca Ciega High School.

For appointments, parents can call 727-824-6900 and select option four. The clinics will be open until Aug. 8. 

View the article as originally published at https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/pinellas-county-free-health-clinic-screenings-back-to-school/67-78a74759-a893-4e66-8e64-aa31b9342f49

What You Need To Know

• For the past seven years, JWB has taken a Summer Book Bus on the road to give away free books to children of all ages in under served communities across Pinellas County.
• Reading on grade-level by the end of third grade is an important predictor of high school graduation and future success.
• JWB says working collectively, “we are addressing the five core factors that impact third-grade reading proficiency: school readiness, school attendance, summer learning, parent and family engagement, and healthy readers.”
• By the end of the summer, the book bus will have stopped at 80 community locations and given away 12,000+ free books to more than 6,500 children

On this colorful book bus, a group of kids enjoying summer camp got to pick two books to take home Tuesday.

Mahagoni Jones is 6 and is in heaven, especially after finding a book she knows she will love. 

“I watched this show before,” said Jones, jumping up and down. “It is like, Sweet Strawberry Cake, I watched this before and I really like peoples and kitties so, I picked this one.”

The book called Puppy Love is at her reading level, but she also chose a book to challenger herself, too. It was much thicker, with a lot more words. 

One of the goals of this but is to not only get books into the hands of kids in Pinellas County, but to also keep elevating their reading ability. 

“Our campaign, the Pinellas Campaign for Grade Level Reading, it focuses on getting kids reading at grade level by 3^rd grade. And we are not quite there yet,” said Brianna Ray, JWB Community Collaborations Coordinator.

The Summer Book Bus Program is run by the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.

Pinellas County’s third through tenth grade reading proficiency scores were recently released by the Florida Department of Education. Pinellas scored a 56% which puts them at 15th best statewide. 

By 2025, JWB wants to see the third grade level scoring 70% proficiency. 

Daniel Achille, who is going into first grade, picked two books with confidence. 

“A caterpillar,” said Achille when asked about his favorite book. He loves The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar. 

By the end of Summer, the Book Bus will have traveled around Pinellas County hitting 80 locations. 

It will reach roughly 6,500 kids with the goal of handing out 13,000 books. 

Read the article and watch the news segment with interview as originally published at https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/07/02/pinellas-juvenile-welfare-board-reading

Two book buses will be traveling across Pinellas County giving away free books throughout July to combat summer learning loss and instill a love of reading in kids.

The Juvenile Welfare Board’s Summer Book Buses hit the road on Monday for the seventh year to start giving away more than 12,000 new books in underserved communities in the county, according to a news release.

The school buses were remodeled into a mobile bookfair on wheels and will be at libraries, recreation centers and other public spaces during its 80-stop tour. Kids can climb aboard and pick out two books to take home. 

Brianna Ray, a community collaborations coordinator with JWB, said they are expecting to see about 6,500 kids. 

“There are a lot of laughs. There are kids who read out loud on the bus as they look through the books so a ton of excitement when they’re on there,” she said. 

The board partners with Pinellas County Schools as a part of their Campaign for Grade-level Reading, which strives to get kids to be able to read on grade level by third grade. Ray said the buses help kids achieve these milestones and not lag behind over the summer when there’s no school. 

The book buses will be in various cities such as Palm Harbor, Clearwater, Largo, St. Petersburg and other places across the county Monday through Thursday for the first three weeks of July. They will not be giving away books on July 4. 

You can view the full list of stops here. 

Read the article and watch the news segment with interview as originally posted at https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/summer-book-buses-pinellas-county/67-b80d0fbf-77a8-44df-a487-80368323a90e

The Juvenile Welfare Board and its Summer Book Bus are on the road once again, delivering free books to children in underserved neighborhoods across Pinellas County.

With the phrase ‘Inspiring lifelong readers, one book at a time’ on the side of the bus – it is scheduled to make nearly 80 stops at community sites from Tarpon Springs to South St. Petersburg in July and will be giving away more than 12,000 brand-new books to thousands of children. 

Stops include public libraries, community recreation centers, neighborhood family centers, childcare centers, and more.

At each stop, children can get on the bus and select two free books. 

It’s all part of JWB’s Early Readers Future Leaders Grade-Level Reading Campaign, helping mitigate summer learning loss while instilling a love of reading in kids of all ages.

The bus tour is in partnership with Pinellas County Schools.

For more information on the bus tour, click here

See the article as originally published at https://www.fox13news.com/news/book-bus-visit-underserved-neighborhoods-giving-free-books-kids

Caden Harris, 14, could have relaxed at home in Atlanta and likely had his pick of speaking engagements following a trip to the White House. A local group of community partners brought him to Pinellas Park to speak to other young people.

Caden is the founder and CEO of Caden Teaches, which now generates over six figures annually. He graduated high school at 13, and has also authored four books.

St. Petersburg-based BayFirst Financial, the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County and several local organizations, like the James B. Sanderlin Family Center, ensured hundreds of area children could learn from the business prodigy. Chris Hackney, president of small business lending for BayFirst, emceed the June 27 event at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center.

“Exposure goes a long way with financial literacy,” Hackney said. “The hope is that kids understand there is a way they can take control of their finances, and they don’t have to wait until a certain age to start.”

Hackney credited Joanna Braddock, club event coordinator at Bayfirst, for the idea. She found Caden’s recent appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America inspiring and realized his message aligned with the bank’s Cash Kids Club’s mission.

The program provides a savings account with a special interest rate for minors. They also receive budgeting education, financial literacy tools and swag.

The June 27 event was only open to members and those who received an invitation.

Multiple area neighborhood centers contributed financially. Hackney called the event a true collaboration among community partners.

“It was really a matter of bringing someone in who looks like the students in our Kids Club,” he explained. “That would inspire them to understand … you don’t have to be 20 or 30 or wait until you’re a working professional to take your finances seriously. You can be a kid, just like Caden.”

Caden started his financial literacy business at 7. He now travels the nation in a bus retrofitted to include a mock bank, grocery store and learning stations to teach kids about money and budgeting.

Entrepreneurialism is in Caden’s DNA. His family established Atlanta’s first African American Hotel, and his sister launched a nutrition company. The boy’s father began taking him to business meetings at 5.

Most kids do not share that lineage and upbringing. Teaching your child to budget and invest is exponentially more difficult for a single parent struggling to put food on the table.

Hackney hopes the Kids Club and event empower youth to take control of their financial future and avoid learning the hard way. “What we’ve found is, the message might resonate a little bit better if it is someone in their peer group,” he said.

“And I think they were inspired by his presentation.”

Caden stressed the importance of budgeting and saving. He also encouraged his peers to consider the benefits of investing money rather than spending it on a new gaming console. Hackney said the children enjoyed how Caden gamified his presentation with takes on Jeopardy and Family Feud.

Hackney said he could see “lights go on” in the minds of the mostly elementary and middle school-aged attendees, who also understood the magnitude of speaking at the White House. He told the crowd that “nothing separates you – other than this stage – from being a Caden Harris.”

In a subsequent social media post, Caden said he was “elated” for the opportunity. “It was inspiring to see so many young minds eager to learn about managing money and building a secure financial future,” he wrote. “A huge thank you to BayFirst Financial and Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County for making this event possible.”

Hackney noted that for many kids, the event was likely their first time learning those financial lessons. He hopes it stokes curiosity and that attendees will now utilize various local and online resources to foster fiscal responsibility.

After the event, Hackney spoke to 50 students affiliated with the Pinellas County Urban League about the importance of saving and investing. However, he plans to continue hosting younger financial literacy experts with better odds of resonating with local youth.

“BayFirst is here to support financial literacy in the community, and this is a continuation of that goal,” Hackney added. “Whether you’re a young member of our Cash Kids Club or a senior in our Trendsetters Club. As a community bank, that’s our responsibility.”

Robbi Stivers has joined the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) as CFO. He is responsible for development and use of sound fiscal and contracting policies and practices to support JWB’s mission and activities while furthering its strategic plan.

Stivers brings more than 20 years’ experience in government finance, most in higher education, plus banking and insurance. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Tennessee Wesleyan University, an MA in Organizational Management from Tusculum University, and is a Certified Government Financial Manager via the Association of Government Accountants.

Learn more at https://www.jwbpinellas.org/juvenile-welfare-board-welcomes-robbi-stivers-as-new-chief-financial-officer/.

See this article as originally published at https://www.tampabay.com/sponsored/2024/07/01/robbi-stivers-joins-pinellas-county-juvenile-welfare-board/