When the pandemic hit, and everyone had to stay inside, Jen Jones worried about her youngest brother.

He was 28, living with two roommates in a Town and Country apartment, unable to go to the video gaming academy where he competed or hang out with friends.

He had quit his job in a medical customer service center and was afraid to leave his room. “He was always a germaphobe, so the threat of that virus really got him upset,” Jones said. “And he already struggled with depression.”

She feared what the isolation, and lack of income, would do to him, “on top of all the uncertainty and fear everyone was feeling.”

In late March, a week after the state shut down, Jones got a call. Her brother had been playing online video games and acting strangely. He told teammates he had taken a bunch of pills. One of them called 911.

He had been involuntarily committed under the state’s Baker Act and was in an emergency room.

Jones raced to the hospital, but because of the coronavirus, she wasn’t allowed to see him. She wrote him a note and left it with a nurse: “Please call me. Let me help you. There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you.”

Two days later, she learned he had been discharged and was back in his apartment.

“How do you release someone who’s struggling like that to the isolation of their 6 x 8 room?” she asked. “How is that a good idea?”

***

As early as April, mental health specialists across the country were warning about how the coronavirus and lockdown would cause more people to struggle with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. A Gallup poll released that month showed 60 percent of American adults reported feeling stress, up from 46 percent the previous summer. The polling company called the findings “unprecedented.”

In May, a group called the Well Being Trust in California released a study predicting that this first U.S. pandemic in a century could lead to 75,000 “deaths of despair” from suicide, alcohol and drug abuse. Stressors like unemployment, fear, dread, isolation and uncertainty — and the combination of all of those factors — is causing people to lose boundaries on their behaviors, the report said.

During late June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 40 percent of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance abuse — and 11 percent had “seriously considered suicide.” Young adults, racial and ethnic minorities, essential workers and unpaid adult caregivers had even higher rates — with more than 20 percent of essential workers reporting suicidal thoughts over the previous month.

Between June and August, calls jumped 15 percent at the 211 Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, according to CEO Clara Reynolds.

“PTSD takes about six months to set in, so we’re bracing for a real onslaught in October and November,” she said. “This crisis hasn’t even really started yet.”

All summer, across Tampa Bay, people were posting about friends and family who died during the pandemic — some from suicide. “Isolation during these trying times was probably a factor,” one Facebook user wrote of a friend. “My friend just took her life,” another wrote. “I really can’t take much more from 2020.”

According to medical examiners’ offices, the number of deaths by suicide hasn’t increased in Hillsborough or Pinellas counties. But calls to crisis centers have spiked.

Early in the pandemic, Reynolds said, most calls were from people worrying about their physical health — contracting the virus and dying. In April, the calls were more about economic concerns — losing jobs, not being able to pay rent. Politics, protests, hurricanes and retirement funds also are adding to the distress.

“Now, we’re shifting to seeing an increase in calls to the suicide prevention hotline,” said Reynolds. Over a three-month period last summer, about 1,300 people called the hotline. During that same period this year, the volume increased 17 percent.

Kristin Mathre, chief operating officer of the Suncoast Center in Pinellas County, said about 1,500 people now have “active suicide prevention plans.” This time last year, she said, that number was about 540.

The most heartbreaking calls, Mathre said, are about children who are afraid to leave their homes. “This is a new population dealing with agoraphobia,” she said. “We’ve never seen 11-year-olds scared to go outside. They’re worried they’ll get the virus or bring it back to their families.”

Overdoses also are increasing in Pinellas, said Diane Clarke from the addiction treatment center Operation PAR. Since the pandemic began, she has seen a rise in overdoses from Fentanyl, amphetamines, opioids and cocaine. Alcohol sales, she said, are up as high as 35 percent.

“People are struggling,” said Reynolds of the 211 center. “We’re getting callers saying: ‘I’m all alone. I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve lost loved ones. I think my family would be better off without me.’”

***

A month after Jen Jones’ youngest brother was released from the hospital, at 3:30 p.m. on April 27, a Hillsborough deputy knocked on her door.

“I have some news about your brother,” he said.

“I hope he’s not in trouble?” she asked.

The deputy paused and looked down. Then he met her eyes. “He was found deceased. I’m not sure of his actual date of death. He had been there several days.”

Jones doesn’t remember how she reacted or if she said anything. She couldn’t process what he was telling her or believe her brother was really gone.

The officer gave her the name and number of her brother’s roommate, who had called 911. For days, the roommate told police, he had been texting from his own bedroom in the same apartment, asking if Jones’ brother wanted to play video games, wondering why he hadn’t been online. After a few days, he started smelling something and banged on the door. No answer. When he turned the knob, it was locked. He got a screwdriver and let himself in.

Her brother was on his back, on his bed, with his arms spread out. He’d left a note. And instructions on who should get his prized Yugioh cards.

“This might hurt some people. And I might be called selfish. … But what about what I want?” he had written. His handwriting in the next sentence was hard to read. Jones’ sister thought it said, “I’m sore and tired.” Jones thought he’d written, “I’m alone and tired.”

“I don’t know what went through his mind. I don’t understand depression. I’m a fixer, but I couldn’t fix this,” Jones said. “If he’d just held on one more week, to see a few more sunsets, everything would have started to open up more and maybe he would have had the opportunity to change something — or everything.”

Jones, a 51-year-old mortgage broker, had always worried about her youngest brother. She’s 22 years older and has a different mother. His mom left when he was 7, their dad died when he was 12.

From then on, Jones raised him, “like a sister-mom,” in her Tampa home.

“He loved making other people happy. He gave great hugs and would listen intently. But he never shared much about himself.”

She took him to a therapist, then another and another. “The more you’d push him, the more he’d pull away.”

Her guilt is crippling. She keeps running through regrets and what-ifs. He must have known how loved he was, she said. But that wasn’t enough.

***

Since July 1, the Hillsborough crisis center has hired nine additional counselors to augment their 40-person call center staff. Before COVID-19, calls averaged seven minutes. Now, Reynolds said, counselors spend an average of 20 minutes talking to each client.

“This is not just because someone is depressed,” Mathre said. “It’s because we’ve layered on more than we have the coping skills for. Having someone to lean on is the best coping strategy, and we have a pandemic that’s isolating people. “

Before the lockdown, Mathre said, almost all of their counseling was in person. Now, it’s nearly all online. The mental health mobile crisis response team set up to help people up to age 25 now responds to callers of any age.

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County is piloting a program with the University of South Florida to train mental health supervisors to better support counselors. The agency also is working with the Community Health Center of Pinellas to train pediatricians how to spot signs of family stressors and connect parents to resources. And a group called Zero Suicide Pinellas brought 28 community organizations and stakeholders together to synchronize training tools, assessments and safety plans. Educators from BayCare are even giving gun shop owners posters and pamphlets about suicide prevention.

“We need to help everyone feel comfortable reaching out for help,” Mathre said.

People also can do things to help themselves through the crisis, said Jennifer Young, who runs a Largo counseling center and specializes in trauma. Her advice: Stay connected, even if it’s only virtually. Stay physically active. Go outside. Try an app to practice guided meditation, or mindfulness. Find a new hobby. And, if you’re holed up at home with family, don’t be afraid to ask for time alone. “Human beings need to be away from loved ones as much as we need to be together,” she said.

***

Jen Jones had some of her brother’s ashes encased in a silver dragonfly necklace, which she wears every day. She set his cello in her living room. Keeps his favorite boyhood Furby by her bed. While she works from home, she sits in his gaming chair. Sometimes, in the evening, she pulls on his well-worn jeans. “It’s comforting,” she said, “to feel him with me.”

Jones’ other brother and sister didn’t want to share their youngest brother’s name or photo. But Jones wanted to tell his story, to remind anyone who is suffering to ask for help.

“It’s okay to be sad. You don’t have to put on a show. I know it’s hard to ask, but people are here for you,” she said. “And for those of us who don’t have mental illness, be kind. Be open to what others are going through. Show extra love. Reach out — and keep reaching.”

This story is part of a collaboration with Frontline, the PBS series, through its Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Editor’s note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, resources are available to help. Please see resources below under “Need help?”.

Reach Lane DeGregory at degregory@tampabay.com. Follow @LaneDeGregory.

Need Help?

Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay by dialing 2-1-1.

To view the full news story by Tampa Bay Times, visit https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/10/05/hurting-right-now-this-florida-woman-wants-you-to-know-youre-not-alone/

With precautions for the coronavirus in place, the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH-Pinellas) is again offering its annual summer back-to-school clinic services to students in advance of the 2020-21 school year. Children and youth entering kindergarten through grade 12 can receive services.

With funding from the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas and support from the Pinellas County School Board, the DOH-Pinellas’ school-based health clinics will provide school, sports and well child physicals, including immunizations, at no cost for clients in need. Vision screenings will be provided by Preserve Vision Florida. Assistance for glasses and exams for qualifying clients will be available.

The services will be provided at no cost by appointment only now through Aug. 11. For appointments, call 727-249-7591 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A parent or legal guardian must bring the child’s immunization and medical records and must be present for the child to receive services.

Appointment hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The service locations are at these school-based health clinic locations:

• Pinellas Park High School: 6305 118th Ave N., Largo
• Gibbs High School: 850 34th St. S., St. Petersburg
• Boca Ciega High School: 924 58th St. S., Gulfport

Please note that staff will be taking these precautions to protect you:

• Everyone entering will be asked screening questions
• One adult per family may enter, unless two or more children are younger than 12
• Each person—child and adult– must have a face covering

For more information about DOH-Pinellas, visit the website. 

To view the full news story by The Patch, visit https://patch.com/florida/largo/calendar/event/20200811/856520/pinellas-offers-free-back-to-school-health-clinics

The national debate of late is focused on the return of young people to grade school, high school, and college. But safe, high-quality childcare for infants, toddlers, and other preschool-age children is even more of a concern for parents getting back to work. 

“The economic recovery for our entire country is dependent on access to childcare,” says Lindsay Carson, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County.  

When schools closed in March, parents working remotely from home could keep their school-age children occupied with online learning. That may still be an option for some families as schools begin to reopen this month.  

But that’s an impossible task with a 1-or-2-or-3-year-old. Think of the Zoom conference calls interrupted by a toddler demanding much-needed attention and the family dog barking in the background of mom or dad’s virtual office. The mute button comes in handy, so it may be possible to work like this short-term, most agree, but few believe it’s sustainable long-term.  

Safe, affordable, high-quality childcare provided by a licensed center is essential for businesses to reopen. But in the six months since COVID-19 hit, many childcare centers nationwide, as well as in the Tampa Bay Area, have shouldered a heavy burden, say local industry leaders.  

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation’s early childhood education programs were already challenged financially. COVID-19 made it even worse.

What does that mean going forward for parents and children? How will it impact businesses? Will childcare center providers, many of whom are small business owners, be able to stay afloat financially?  

“Childcare was an industry that was very fragile before COVID,” says Carson. “There wasn’t a huge profit margin or a lot of reserves to fall back on. I’m not saying the sky is falling, but just that the industry is vulnerable.”

Imagination Station in St. Petersburg

Jackie Lang is the owner of Imagination Station in St. Petersburg, a preschool that provides early learning care for up to 44 children, ages 2 to 5. 

Initially, when COVID first hit, Imagination Station stayed open. That is until everyone realized the significance of what was happening, says Lang.  

As enrollment started to drop, she made the decision to close the center to give teachers and families the opportunity to shelter in place at home. “I anticipated that I would be closed about a week, but it turned out that we were closed for three weeks,” says Lang.

Imagination Station reopened in April and has stayed open every day since then.

“Many of our parents work at essential businesses and they have no choice — they have to go to work,” says Lang. “It’s our goal to keep the children happy and safe so the parents can bring their children here and not worry.” 

She is also proud of her staff and the safety precautions they are taking. “Inside our walls, you would never know there was a pandemic out there,” says Lang. “Our teachers have come to work every day with a positive attitude, even when they don’t know what they are going to be exposed to, or what they are going to bring home to their own families.” 

At the moment, the center is operating at 70 percent capacity. That might change as more parents go back to work, but no one knows exactly what will happen, says Lang.  

Fortunately, Lang is able to keep her center open regardless of enrollment and still not worry about funding. About 20 percent of her families are self-pay, says Lang, while 80 percent are part of either Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten or the Florida school readiness program. 

VPK is a free program for all 4-year-olds in the state, while the school readiness program gives younger economically disadvantaged children access to early education. Lang receives funding for those programs through the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County.

“If not for the support we have received from the city and from the Early Learning Coalition, I don’t know where we would be,” she says.

The high costs of reopening

Many privately owned preschools and even some faith-based centers are not so fortunate. Expenses related to COVID-19 have taken their toll.

“The biggest issue is that safety protocols are not free,” says Carson of the Early Learning Coalition.  

There is the cost of buying personal protective equipment for the teachers and special cleaning supplies to sanitize the facility.  Some centers have purchased additional toys and educational materials. In addition, CDC-recommended guidelines limiting the number of children per group mean smaller class sizes. 

“Smaller class sizes reduce the facility’s capacity,” says Carson. “While that’s important, it adds to the expense of running a center.”

There is also the uncertainty of planning for adequate staffing. Licensing guidelines mandate the correct ratio of students to teachers. Child care is a labor-intensive industry. 

If a teacher is exposed to COVID, staffing becomes even more of a challenge.

“They have to quarantine for 14 days and wait for testing results to come back before they can return to work,” says Carson. “Some centers are hiring additional teachers just in case.”

To help through tough times, some centers got a Paycheck Protection Program loan through the Small Business Association. Others qualified for funding through the Florida CARES grant program or St. Petersburg’s Fighting Chance Fund.  

“Public school providers are not doing to go out of business, but many small business owners and faith-based businesses may find it more difficult,” says Carson. “Their revenue is down at a time their costs are up.”

Yet despite everything, Carson says childcare center providers “have gone above and beyond. They’ve done what they had to do because it’s the right thing to do.”

Finding solutions for families in poverty and at risk

The Juvenile Welfare Board funds 11 child care centers in Pinellas County, serving over 800 children from low-income families as part of its mission to better prepare children for grade school.   

When COVID hit, JWB was prepared to doing everything possible to “provide the safest possible environment,” says COO Judith Warren.  

Childcare staff went through extensive training. Rigorous cleaning protocols were implemented, and best practices such as taking temperatures and curbside drop-off and pick-up became the norm.

Despite these safety precautions, parents were still worried about their children, says Warren. Over the summer, many JWB-funded centers were at half-capacity and attendance was sporadic.

“It’s a difficult time and our parents are trying to make the best possible decision for their families,” says Karen Boggess, JWB performance and evaluation manager.

“We typically serve families in poverty and at risk,” says Boggess, ”so trying to decide if their child will be safe and healthy puts an extra burden on them, while they’re trying to keep their job and put food on the table. “

But as “daunting a decision as it is for parents to make, we definitely want children to return as schools and businesses open up. We know that kids who are visible in the community are going to thrive better,” says Warren.

Creative Play Preschool in Gulfport

Kya Belcher, the owner of Creative Play Preschool in Gulfport, closed for five months when enrollment at her center dropped significantly. Some parents had lost jobs. Others thought it best to keep their children at home. Belcher applied for grants and a PPP loan to help keep the center open. But in the end, it wasn’t possible to stay open.

Now finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Creative Play Preschool will reopen August 12, but with a completely new concept. With overwhelming support from parents, Belcher has shifted the school’s curriculum to an environmental and wellness focus and is in the process of transforming the campus into a mini-farm.

While it has been challenging coping with the financial impact of COVID and the uncertainty of everything, Belcher is now able to see it as a gift. 

“We are thinking outside the box and excited about the changes,” says Belcher. “We have a two-year plan and will be documenting everything to create a model for other centers. We’re teaching children about the earth and about sustainability.” 

On Saturday, August 1, the center held a family farm day with parents, children, and interested community members lending a hand.  An outdoor patio is now a large outdoor classroom with shaded areas, misters, and fans. There are worm boxes, raised gardening beds, compost bins, and a dozen fruit trees with plans for up to a dozen more.

To view the full news story by 83 Degrees Media, visit https://www.83degreesmedia.com/features/Florida-preschools-among-first-to-reopen-under-COVID-conditions-081120.aspx

They start with macaroni and cheese. Kids love mac-n-cheese. Especially when it’s homemade.

So on a sultry Thursday in late July, in their sprawling catering kitchen in Palm Harbor, Jeff and Laurie Simpson and a dozen employees boil 95 pounds of pasta, melt 35 pounds of American and cheddar cheese and add five gallons of milk, “to make it nice and creamy.”

They cook 100 lbs. of hot dogs, sliced into bite-sized pieces. Make mounds of baked beans.

Enough to feed 500 children across Pinellas County.

“It’s very fulfilling, knowing who this food is for,” Jeff says. “It’s far from what we were doing. But it’s saved our business and helped so many families.”

The Simpsons and their friend Nick Adams have been running Delectables Fine Catering for 33 years. This summer was to be their busiest yet, with hundreds of high-end weddings, banquets and corporate events.

Then the coronavirus hit. They lost $500,000 in bookings and had to lay off their 25 employees. They were cleaning out the freezers when the call came: Could they make meals for kids?

***

Throughout the pandemic, churches and food pantries have been feeding folks across Tampa Bay. Many offer meals and groceries people can pick up.

But what if you don’t have a car? Or money for an Uber? You can’t carry a cooler on a bike or lug boxes onto a bus. Especially if you have kids.

Caitlyn Peacock has been worrying about those kids for years. As director of the Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger, she knows they are fed through free lunch programs at school. But during summer, they often go hungry.

“Only 20 percent of kids who qualify for free lunch actually get them over the summer,” Peacock says. “We’d been looking for a way to fill that gap.”

Last October, she and her staff began planning a Meals on Wheels for Kids program. Modeled after the one for the elderly, volunteers would deliver five hot meals to each child’s doorstep every week — plus groceries. “We’d planned to start June 1, after school got out, and were set to serve 20 kids,” Peacock says. “In March, when school got cancelled, we knew we had to look at this in a different way.”

There are now at least 180,000 “food insecure” people in Pinellas, a 50 percent increase from before the pandemic. More than 7,000 are children whose only dependable source of food was school meals.

Peacock reached out to Daystar Life Center, which offered food from its pantry. She talked to churches and recreation centers and The Kind Mouse, a local feeding organization. She got funding from the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Juvenile Welfare Board, Bill Edwards Foundation, Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Milkey Family Foundation and dozens of private donors. She raised $500,000, signed up 250 volunteers and found caterers willing to cook 2,500 homemade meals every week for $4 each.

The caterers hired back half of their employees. They signed a new contract with their food distributor, ordering different ingredients. Menus feature foods they think kids enjoy: BBQ chicken, turkey and gravy, lasagna, chili, braised beef tips over egg noodles.

They bought take-out containers and a food sealing machine, so they could vacuum-pack each meal. “We’ve never done take-out, or frozen our food. This is all new to us,” Jeff says. They store the meals in blue, rolling coolers, about the size of filing cabinets.

Peacock had planned to have volunteers deliver everything in their cars. But the coolers are too big. So she called Pinellas County Schools. Since the buses weren’t running, could she borrow some?

Initially, she asked out-of-work bus drivers to volunteer. Several did. Then she got a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg that allowed her to pay the drivers.

Funding was slated to continue until school starts. But now that so many kids aren’t going back, volunteers will keep bringing food through December — at least. “Our goal is to be feeding 4,500 kids in Pinellas by the end of the year,” Peacock says.

Recently, the program added 50 kids of migrant workers in Wimauma, who get their own menu: chicken fajitas, cheese enchiladas, tamales with salsa verde. It also is accepting applications for kids on a new route in Dade City. “And we plan to add 2,000 kids in Hillsborough County and 1,000 in Pasco.”

In the last month, Peacock has gotten more than a dozen calls from nonprofits across the country looking for advice on how to start their own programs.

“We’re seeing all these kids still stuck at home for who knows how long,” she says. “We’re seeing that this works.”

***

On a sunny Saturday, two days after caterers made the mac-n-cheese, Jack Beary climbs onto the loading dock behind the Catherine Hickman Theater in Gulfport and unlocks the door. The 173 seats have been empty since March, when all performing arts shut down — and Beary lost his job with the city.

But this morning, he turns on the lights and stacks empty boxes on the stage.

With funds from the feeding kids program, the city was able to hire Beary back to oversee the theater on days when nonprofits drop off pallets of groceries and volunteers come to pack boxes.

About 10 a.m., they start showing up, all wearing masks. Many have been here before. “Good morning! Thanks for coming!” calls Bailey Cross, who is wheeling a cart of grapefruit through the tables. “We’ve got new families today, so don’t forget the boxes backstage.”

Cross works with Peacock at the Network to End Hunger. She writes a number on each box, to signify how many kids are in that house. She gives one volunteer a giant sack of rice, a box of Ziploc bags and a scoop. “Two cups for each kid,” she says. Another volunteer divides a big bag of pinto beans.

There are crates of apples, oranges, carrots, sweet potatoes, corn. Boxes of cereal, tuna, spaghetti. Applesauce, oatmeal, animal crackers — all donated.

A dozen people sort everything into the boxes. Most volunteers are retired teachers or social workers. They came looking for a way to give back — and get out of their homes.

“It’s fun to see the different food we get each week,” says Emily Rowe, a kindergarten teacher who retired last year. “I think about all the kids who don’t have enough to eat, and how excited they’ll be to open their box and see what’s inside.”

At the theater, volunteers pack 35 boxes with groceries. At other sites across Tampa Bay, other volunteers are doing the same.

By 11 a.m., the pallets are empty. The boxes are full.

***

Eight school buses are idling in the depot on 49th Street. In the windows, in white shoe polish, someone has written “Meals for Kids.”

It’s 9:35 on a bright Monday morning, two days since volunteers packed the groceries.

Tangela Butler is in the back of her bus, helping the caterers’ driver secure two coolers with red seat belts.

Ever since she was a girl, Butler has wanted to drive a “big, yellow school bus.” She’s had the job for 17 years. “I love the middle-schoolers, who are a challenge,” she says.

She turns into the theater, backs into the loading dock, where volunteers are waiting to load the groceries.

Asianna Lotito, a real estate agent, took the morning off to help. She slides into the front seat and asks Butler, “How many stops today?”

On this route: 13 families, 35 kids, 175 meals.

***

The first house is light blue, with an old trampoline out front. One child lives here, the sheet says. At 10:30 a.m., a volunteer texts, “We’re here!” and Lotito loads frozen meals on top of the groceries. As soon as she leaves the box by the door, an adolescent girl comes out, waving.

Next is a house with green shutters, and three kids inside. When a woman in pajama pants answers the door, a toddler peeks between her knees, grinning.

Five kids live at the next stop, Mastry’s Apartments. “Let’s give them two boxes,” Butler says. “And anything extra.”

As Lotito carries the first box toward the fence, a small girl in a blue dress runs out to open the gate. “Hi!” calls Lotito. “Don’t you look pretty!” The girl’s mom comes out, pulling a rolling cart.

Amari Silva is 6 — the youngest in the family. She trails her mom closely, staring at the boxes. “You need help?” asks Lotito.

Kim DeGroff shakes her head. “No, we got this. Thank you! She’s been waiting for you.”

DeGroff is a stay-home mom. The dad of her two youngest children is a tree trimmer who has been out of work. They don’t have a car. All five kids were getting free lunch at school but have been stuck at home since March, crowded into the apartment.

“I can’t even tell you how much it has helped,” DeGroff says of the meals program. “The food is such high quality — so much better than school lunch. And the groceries keep my pantry stocked.”

As soon as DeGroff carries the boxes to the kitchen, Amari dives in, asking, “What did we get?” She sets aside the raisins, animal crackers and fruit.

Then, squealing, she holds up the tray with mac-n-cheese.

To view the full news story by Tampa Bay Times, visit https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/08/07/feeding-families-at-their-front-doors/

Corey Thornton can’t stop, won’t stop inspiring kids everywhere with his music and videos.

To view the full news story by Good Morning America, visit https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/rap-motivate-educate-students-72147145

Pinellas County Property Appraiser Mike Twitty released the 2020 preliminary tax roll on July 1. The good news is the increases in every category except tangible personal property.

According to the preliminary numbers, 2020 taxable values are nearly $91.68 billion, up from more than $85 million in 2019.

A higher taxable value for real property, which is land and buildings, is important for government agencies working to prepare budgets for fiscal year 2021. Property taxes pay for much of governments’ operations and services.

Annual property tax bills are calculated using the millage rates from the different taxing authorities and applying them to the property value minus homestead and other exemptions.

The county is the taxing authority and approves the countywide millage rate (General Fund), as well as the rate for Emergency Medical Services, Municipal Services Taxing Unit and the Health Department. The county approves rates for East Lake library and recreation services, Feather Sound community services and Palm Harbor community services. The county also approves millage rates submitted from the independent fire districts.

Property owners with increased real property values will likely have larger tax bills next year even if millage rates stay the same. Some areas of the county will see bigger increases in tax bills than others.

All taxing authorities must notify the property appraiser of tentative millage rates by Aug. 4 so Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices can be prepared for an Aug. 24 mail out to all property owners. After that date, rates may be lowered before final approval, but they cannot be raised.

Residents can look up their property values on the property appraiser’s website, www.pcpao.org. Click on the “Search Our Database” link.

The property appraiser’s preliminary report shows that the county’s General Fund budget will benefit from a 7.27% boost in total taxable values. The dollar value of the increase is nearly $6.2 billion compared to 2019 and includes a 7.77% gain in real property tax values. Total taxable values include real property, new construction and tangible personal property.

Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) estimates show a 5.4% increase in total taxable values with a dollar value of nearly $1 billion.

Other taxing authorities include the School District, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, Pinellas Park Water Management District, Pinellas Planning Council, Juvenile Welfare Board, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Clearwater Downtown Development.

The School District has a 6.87% increase in total taxable values compared to 2019, which equals nearly $6.39 billion. Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has a 7.92% increase, which equates to $5.8 billion.

Municipal tax roll

Kenneth City had the biggest increase in taxable values, according to the preliminary figures with an 11.49% bump in real property tax value and 11.11% in total taxable value. St. Petersburg came in second with 9.74% increase in real property tax value and 9.44% in total taxable value.

All the county’s municipalities had jumps in taxable values. Total taxable value includes real property, tangible property and new construction.

• Pinellas Park — 9.56% real property, 8.02% total taxable

• Seminole — 9.10% real property, 8.87% total taxable

• Largo — 8.93% real property, 8.19% total taxable

• Oldsmar — 8.73% real property, 7.32% total taxable

• Safety Harbor — 8.68% real property, 8.42% total taxable

• Gulfport — 8.51% real property, 8.39% total taxable

• Dunedin — 8.48% real property, 8.39% total taxable

• Belleair — 8.03% real property, 7.94% total taxable

• Belleair Bluffs — 7.36% real property, 6.83% total taxable

• Redington Shores — 7.21% real property, 7.11% total taxable

• Clearwater — 6.9% real property, 6.72% total taxable

• Madeira Beach — 6.7% real property, 6.61% total taxable

• Redington Beach — 6.67% real property, 6.27% total taxable

• Tarpon Springs — 6.42% real property, 6.16% total taxable

• Indian Rocks Beach — 6.31% real property, 6.25% total taxable

• Treasure Island — 6.2% real property, 6.14% total taxable

• North Redington Beach — 6.19% real property, 6.21% total taxable

• Indian Shores — 5.98% real property, 5.96% total taxable

• St. Pete Beach — 5.67% real property, 5.53% total taxable

• South Pasadena — 5.08% real property, 5.16% total taxable

• Belleair Beach — 4.97% real property, 4.95% total taxable

Fire Districts

• Lealman — 8.76% real property, 8.76% total taxable

• Safety Harbor — 8.28% real property, 8.28% total taxable

• Largo — 8.03% real property, 8.03% total taxable

• Tierra Verde — 7.56% real property, 7.56% total taxable

• Dunedin — 7.28% real property, 7.28% total taxable

• South Pasadena — 7.23% real property, 7.23% total taxable

• Palm Harbor — 7.12% real property, 6.85% total taxable

• Clearwater — 6.77% real property, 6.77% total taxable

• Highpoint — 6.58% real property, 6.58 total taxable

• Pinellas Park — 6.57% real property, 6.57% total taxable

• Seminole — 6.19% real property, 6.19% total taxable

• Tarpon Springs — 4.93% real property, 4.93% total taxable

• East Lake — 4.18% real property, 4.18% total taxable

• Belleair Bluffs — 4.02% real property, 4.02% total taxable

To view the full news story by Tampa Bay Newspapers, visit https://www.tbnweekly.com/pinellas_county/article_2b221366-c618-11ea-b3c1-1b869f0627ed.html

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County is giving away free groceries this week through its mobile food pantries.

In cooperation with the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Pinellas County Mobile Food Pantries is offering residents a chance to pick up prepackaged groceries free of charge.

To maintain social distancing regulations, mobile pantries will use a drive-thru model to eliminate crowds and minimize contact.

The grocery giveaway will take place Monday, July 13 through Saturday, July 19.

Click here for times and locations.

To view the full news story by The Patch, visit https://patch.com/florida/dunedin/pinellas-county-mobile-food-pantries-give-away-groceries

The Juvenile Welfare Board is looking for new ways to reach out to kids about the benefits of reading during the summer. So they teamed up with Tampa Bay rapper Corey Thornton to make a music video that shows kids having fun reading and working with their parents while they learn.

Thornton says it’s the perfect match. He knows reading is the key to success and music is the key to connecting with kids.

“There is just something about the beat. It brings everybody together,” Thornton offered.

Danielle Hintz with the Juvenile Welfare Board says not all children are naturally attracted to reading.

“We hope that by having a video out there, it gets them inspired and excited,” she explained.

To kick off the promotion, they handed out flash drives with the video, along with food for families at a summer break spot.

“We decided to hand out the video at the same time that food was being distributed because this is a site that people are already coming to during a challenging time with COVID-19. It’s a double opportunity to nourish both the child’s bodies and their minds,” Hintz said.

To view the full news story by Fox 13 News, visit https://www.fox13news.com/news/tampa-rapper-makes-video-for-kids-to-promote-summer-reading

In March, she started wondering: How are we going to pay rent?

Her husband’s work as a house painter had shut down because of the coronavirus. Her disability check barely covered utilities and internet access, so the two grandkids she’s raising could finish school at her Clearwater townhome.

“We have a wonderful landlord,” said Debbie Marquez, 51. “But how long would he let us slide?”

In April, she started worrying: A notice appeared on her door. She had three days, it said, to “pay rent or deliver possession.”

Florida’s governor had prohibited evictions until May 17. But then what?

In May, she started panicking: Her husband still hadn’t gotten unemployment benefits.

They had no idea how they would ever pay $950 each month for April, May and June. They spent their stimulus check on insurance, insulin and medical bills. She swallowed her pride and went to a neighborhood food pantry.

There, in a bag of donated groceries, she found hope. Covid Cares Pinellas Fund, said a flyer. One-time assistance for rent payment.

“You have no idea what that meant to us,” Marquez told a counselor on Tuesday. “I’d never had to ask for help with rent, and I had no idea how to do it.”

Sinking into a chair in the High Point Neighborhood Family Center, Marquez pulled out a folder filled with forms. She had come to thank Cuvette Holloway, the family support specialist who helped her get federal rent assistance. “I don’t know what we would have done without you,” she said.

Then she put a pile of papers on the counselor’s desk and asked, “Can you help my daughter?”

***

Tampa Bay already struggled to provide enough affordable housing, area agencies said. Job losses caused by the pandemic have created an unprecedented, overwhelming problem. Thousands of Floridians are still waiting for unemployment checks and now owe up to four months of back rent. Many don’t know when they will go back to work.

“Evictions already have been filed and are just waiting to be acted on,” said Duggan Cooley of the Pinellas Community Foundation. “You’re going to see lots more throughout the summer.

“I’m incredibly concerned about what comes next.”

On June 17, Cooley’s nonprofit released a report called The Looming Storm: The State of Evictions in West Central Florida. The study, co-sponsored by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, the Allegany Franciscan Ministries and the United Way Suncoast, says that 886 households in Tampa Bay are facing eviction.

It predicts that 5,907 more families in the area could lose their homes.

“We’re hearing a lot of tenants saying they don’t have to pay their back rent,” Cooley said. “That’s not the case. The bills haven’t stopped. They’re just piling up.”

Late Tuesday, the governor extended the ban on evictions through Aug. 1. That gives renters another month to catch up — or fall further behind.

“It’s going to get worse,” said Beth Houghton, who oversees Pinellas County’s Juvenile Welfare Board. “In April alone, we had three times the number of requests for rent assistance as the year before.”

Between mid-March and the beginning of June, more than 11,700 people called 2-1-1- to ask for help paying rent in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties, according to the Looming Storm report.

Florida received $240 million in federal Covid Cares funds to help with mortgage and rent relief. That money was sent to each county, where leaders decided how to disperse it. In Pinellas, applications go through the 2-1-1 center, which quickly became overwhelmed.

Callers reported waiting more than three hours on hold. Others flooded local social service centers in person. With libraries closed, many lost access to computers, printers and scanners — so they couldn’t download forms or send documents.

“Families who are struggling need help to figure out how to navigate all these agencies, all these requirements and processes,” said April Putzulu of the Juvenile Welfare Board. “We knew we needed to help them. So it’s almost like we called in the National Guard.”

Community groups partnered to train counselors to help people fill out forms and file documents. They set up appointments at Pinellas’ eight neighborhood family centers.

They told people that if they had lost their income due to the coronavirus, they were eligible for up to $4,000 per household — a one-time payment that would go straight to their landlord, that they would never have to pay back.

Recipients must be U.S. citizens, have less than $4,000 in the bank and have earned under $4,300 a month for a family of four. Federal Covid Cares funds can also help pay mortgages, homeowners’ association fees, water and electric bills, even internet access. Each request requires at least eight different documents.

Pinellas already has given more than $1 million to help 1,053 households, said county spokesman David Connor. Another 2,900 people have applied for an estimated $3.3 million.

Hillsborough County has allocated about $15 million in federal funds for utility, rent and mortgage assistance, according to the county website. Counselors also are available at the county’s five community resource centers.

Local governments and grants can provide other assistance.

“Funds are still available,” Connor said. “We encourage people to apply.”

***

Holloway helps Marquez with assistance for mother and daughter. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]

In her mustard-colored office at the High Point Neighborhood Family Center, counselor Holloway flipped through the forms Marquez handed her and frowned.

Marquez’s daughter had applied for federal assistance on May 28, but her case was still “under review.” Desiree, 30, has three children, including a baby born in March. She had been on maternity leave from her job as a home health aide since then. Her husband, an assistant manager at a hotel on Clearwater Beach, had been furloughed since spring break and still hadn’t received an unemployment check. The family hadn’t had any income — or paid any rent — since April 1.

“They’ve been scraping by on their stimulus checks,” Marquez told the counselor. “My daughter tried to apply for rent relief on her own, but she keeps having to re-send stuff, fill out more forms. I told her she had to call you.”

Holloway smiled behind her mask and clicked on her computer. “Do you have your daughter’s case reference number? I’ll put in a request for her.”

Since federal funds became available, Holloway and others at the Clearwater family center have helped 30 families pay rent, said Director Margo Adams. “If the funds stop, I dread what will happen to them,” she said. “We can’t let all of these people become homeless.”

Holloway asked Marquez a few more questions about her daughter, then emailed a “navigator” at the 2-1-1 center, requesting a status update. “They have a lot of people asking for help,” she told Marquez. “It might just be taking a while.”

Marquez’s own application had been approved at the end of May. But on that last day of June, her landlord still hadn’t gotten the check. She had shown him an email saying money was coming, so she no longer feared being evicted. “He says we’re good,” she said. “At least for now.”

They talked about her grandkids. She had just signed up the 5-year-old for kindergarten. His older sister will be a senior in high school this year. They talked about her health, her husband, how strange and scary these last few months had been. “Maybe we’ll get another stimulus check,” Marquez said.

Marquez holds a folder with all her documents while talking with Holloway. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]

She put the papers back in her folder, picked up her purse. She was walking out the door when Holloway said: “Hang on! I just got an email back!

“Your daughter’s case is complete. They’re just waiting for approval. She should hear something by next week.”

Marquez clasped her hands and cried: “Oh, thank you! That’s such a relief.”

In the parking lot, she called her daughter. “It’s going to be okay.”

Contact Lane DeGregory at ldegregory@tampabay.com. Follow @LaneDeGregory.

***

How to get help:

To apply for federal funding to help pay rent or mortgages in Pinellas County:

Text: “COVIDCARES” to 8982111

Call: 2-1-1

Or make an appointment to talk to a counselor at one of the eight family centers: www.jwbpinellas.org/neighborhood-family-centers

To get help in Hillsborough County:

Go to: https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/social-services/financial-assistance/action-folder/apply-for-rental-assistance

Or make an appointment to talk to a counselor at one of the five community resource centers: https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/social-services/financial-assistance/find-a-community-resource-center

***

To view the full article by Tampa Bay Times, visit https://www.tampabay.com/news/2020/07/06/worried-about-being-evicted-or-losing-your-home-help-is-still-available/

LARGO, Fla. — The City of Largo is offering financial help to residents who have fallen behind on housing and utility bills because of COVID-19.

The Resident Assistance Program opens at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 5. It’s available as a second line of assistance after countywide programs.

According to a press release, residents must first determine if they pre-qualify for the Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance or Juvenile Welfare Board Family Services Initiative (FSI) programs by vising this website.

If you do not qualify for those programs or do but need additional help, you can proceed to the Largo program.

Be prepared to provide the following documentation for eligibility:
• Documented Loss of Income
• Proof of Residency and Household Size
• Current Income and Assets Documents
• Duplication of Benefits Prevention
• Housing Bills for Requested Assistance

Additional forms and documents, like signed waivers and authorization forms, will also be requested to determine eligibility. Click here to apply or call 727-586-7453.

To view the full news story by ABC Actions News, visit https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/city-of-largo-offering-financial-help-for-residents-affected-by-covid-19