JWB CEO Beth Houghton joined the Tampa Bay Thrives Board. TBT envisions an emotionally healthy community and brings together community leaders to devise strategic solutions centered on behavioral health navigation, access to care, and stigma reduction. JWB’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative has screened 17,000 children for early detection and intervention.

Beth A. Houghton has been named to the board of directors for Tampa Bay Thrives, a nonprofit that envisions an emotionally healthy community where mental health is a priority and all thrive together.

Houghton serves as the chief executive officer for the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County. In her CEO role, she oversees an annual impact budget of $133 million. Her duties include overseeing the funding of high-quality programs that served more than 77,000 children and families last year.

She also directs the implementation of strategic initiatives and campaigns that benefit tens of thousands annually, including JWB’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative aimed at fostering prevention, early intervention, and treatment with a focus on children ages 4 to 11.

Houghton’s prior experience includes serving as CEO of the St. Petersburg Free Clinic and chief financial officer and general counsel of All Children’s Health System. She graduated with honors from Stetson College of Law, Tulane University Graduate School of Business, and Newcomb College of Tulane. She is licensed to practice law in Florida and served as Chairman of the Board for Signature Bank in St. Petersburg.

See the article as originally published at https://www.tbnweekly.com/clearwater_beacon/article_ac419696-f94f-11ef-bb57-634d2fa85f52.html

A vibrant immigrant community in Clearwater experienced some of the worst flooding in the area. Local groups are stepping in to ensure they’re getting the right resources.

In the crowded halls of St. Petersburg College’s Clearwater campus, a young father sits with his head down, filling out a hurricane relief form.

“Prácticamente todo este lo perdí ahí durante el huracán (I lost practically everything in the hurricane),” he said.

He’s asked WUSF to call him by his nickname Matias because he’s in the country without documentation.

Matias is one of hundreds of Standard Apartment residents who lost their home to floodwaters from Hurricane Milton, one of the worst storms to hit the Tampa Bay region in a century.

Even though the complex itself isn’t in a flood zone, residents there say they’ve always had flooding issues. The area is shaped like a bowl, according to community advocates. And during Milton’s downpour, a nearby pond overflowed and burst through a retention wall.

More than 500 residents had to be rescued that night.

Matias returned home in the early morning hours on Oct. 10, and found that four feet of water filled his apartment.

“Anything touching the floor, my shoes, my clothes were all wet,” he said. “Even my car, all of my tools for work, everything was gone.”

Matias works as an electrician about 40 minutes away from home. He’s been making due driving a relative’s car and had to buy a new set of tools in order to continue making a living.

He, his wife and three-month old son have been couch surfing with friends and family, which he’s thankful for, but it’s getting harder to manage each day, he admits.

That’s why he’s come to the college campus this Thursday night where several local nonprofits have set up a legal aid clinic. Here, he’s able to receive help in Spanish and ask what resources are available to him.

For those like Matias, options are limited. Four years ago, he crossed into the U.S. through the southern border from Mexico. He doesn’t have a Social Security number or legal work authorization, barring him from receiving federal aid like FEMA or unemployment benefits.

For now, he hopes to rely on local charities and aid groups. Matias was able to submit a FEMA application on behalf of his three-month old son, who was born here, but is still waiting on a response.

Because of his immigration status, he was wary of accepting help from certain groups. The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization that helps people through natural disasters, offered shelter to residents after Milton hit.

“No había mucha confianza. (We didn’t have much trust in going there),” said Matias.

And they weren’t the only ones who felt that way.

“While I didn’t live through the flood, my friends, they lost everything. And they risked their lives that night. I can’t imagine how they lived through that moment.”

Officials with local nonprofits that had stepped in to help after the storm said they witnessed multiple families who refused assistance and shelter because they were afraid government agencies would take down their information.

“They were taken by a bus to an unfamiliar location, and it looked very intimidating and institutional,” said David Hale, executive director of Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center, which serves the Clearwater area. “So the lack of communication and the lack of cultural understanding resulted in a failure there to provide the emergency services.”

Some who couldn’t find shelter with friends or family returned to water-logged homes that had no running water or electricity.

“We found families with small children and infants living in those conditions. It was the only choice many of them felt they had,” said Hale.

‘Like a bomb exploded’

Karla is another former Standard resident who lost her second floor apartment due to mold that crept up from the unit below. We’re not disclosing her last name since she is also undocumented.

Karla came to the U.S. from Mexico over 20 years ago for more opportunities for herself and for her children, she said. She and her husband lived in the Clearwater complex for over a decade raising their two daughters.

Familiar with the area’s flooding issues, her family stayed with friends the night of the hurricane. When they returned several days later, Karla couldn’t believe the destruction.

“It was like a bomb exploded and destroyed everything,” she said through a translator.

Piles of furniture and household goods were strewn outside. Broken glass littered the patios where floodwaters surged into first floor apartments. Early memories of her children playing in the complex welled up, and Karla became emotional.

“While I didn’t live through the flood, my friends, they lost everything. And they risked their lives that night. I can’t imagine how they lived through that moment,” she said.

Outside their apartment door, on the second floor, lay a child’s life jacket and a package of cookies, said Valeria, Karla’s daughter.

“You can tell someone had spent the night there,” she said.

Karla understands why people are afraid to seek help. As an immigrant, “you’re afraid that you’re going to be asked for a document, for a piece of paper, or for a number. Sometimes that fear is justified, sometimes it comes from a lack of knowledge.”

After decades of living in the U.S., Karla said she’s learned how to navigate the risks.

“I was always interested in learning what I could do for myself, for my children and family. Even though I am an immigrant, I have rights as a human and as a person,” she said.

Her children are U.S. citizens so they were able to apply for FEMA aid for the family. And her daughter works for a church that hosted one of the Red Cross shelters in the first few weeks after Hurricane Milton.

“We told people we were going to be taking them to the church, that there was food, that there was shelter, and, really, just trying to change the narrative — that that was a good option.”

Amanda Markiewicz, Hispanic Outreach Center

The two had returned to The Standard Apartments to try and convince some of the families there that those resources were safe.

But what they found was that “a lot of them were just not wanting to go, not wanting to accept the help,” said Valeria.

And it’s not hard to imagine why. Valeria explains, “there’s that fear, you know, I guess you kind of risked everything to come here. Now they can easily take that away from you — that kind of fear.”

Local aid groups step in to help

Amanda Markiewicz is with the group Hispanic Outreach Center, a nonprofit that has been in the community for over twenty years.

“In a time like this, there’s a lot of barriers for anybody. When you add in limited English, or you add in immigration status, or you add in multiple people in a home that might not be on a lease, it opens up for a lot more barriers,” said Markiewicz.

The Center partnered with other trusted groups like Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center to canvas the area.

“We told people we were going to be taking them to the church, that there was food, that there was shelter, and, really, just trying to change the narrative — that that was a good option,” said Markiewicz.

“We have staff who are dedicated to providing services to these communities and understand the dynamics and the barriers that they face on a day-to-day basis, let alone with a crisis.”

Markiewicz said they were able to quell some of the worries residents had. They even organized transportation from the shelters to schools for families who had school-aged children.

“It was a lot of coordinated effort that took place,” said Markiewicz.

But the road ahead for many of these families is a long one.

About half of The Standard Apartment’s nearly 500 units were affected by the storm. Most residents are looking elsewhere for housing, afraid that another disaster like this could hit again next year.

Karla and her family are staying with a friend, and are in the midst of their search for a new home. But rent is high, especially with so many other victims of the hurricane looking for a new place.

Valeria said she’s picked up a second job working retail. Her younger sister is in college, so she’s also helping to pay for her tuition.

Matias finishes filling out his form in the noisy hallway. He hopes that some aid will come to his family, mainly because he has to take care of his child. While they’ve lost almost all their belongings, he says those “material things can be replaced.”

“Tenemos salud y eso es lo importante (We have our health and that’s the most important thing),” said Matias.

A community in South St. Pete is celebrating the addition of a much-needed neighborhood resource.

The Jordan Park Community Food Pantry officially opened Thursday afternoon. Nonprofit leaders, city officials and Jordan Park residents attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion. 

The Jordan Park community dates back to 1939 and is credited as the City of St. Petersburg’s first African American housing community, and the oldest federal housing project in Florida. Jordan Park was recently redeveloped by the St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) in a $93 million renovation, creating 206 family housing units.

The new food pantry sits inside a former maintenance storage area at the back of the community’s clubhouse at the corner of Langdon Ave. S. and Jordan Park St. S. The food pantry soft-launched a few weeks ago, and an SPHA staffer said they have been serving nearly 100 people every Thursday when it opens for business.

“This food pantry represents more than just access to essential groceries; it symbolizes our commitment to creating opportunities for stronger communities,” said Michael Lundy, President and CEO of the St. Petersburg Housing Authority. “I would describe this community as a family who happens to live close to one another. A lot of people have known each other for quite some time. They lived in this community before we did the renovation and they’re back here after, so they consider themselves family.”

Jordan Park resident Janie Morris said she’s been spreading the word about the new food pantry to her neighbors, encouraging them to take advantage of the community resource.

Kiara Lovett, Director of Social Services for the St. Petersburg Housing Authority, said the idea first came from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast. Participants were looking for a way to give back as part of their after-school food program. After surveying the residents, Lovett realized the need was there and gave the nonprofit the green light to move forward. Now, a handful of teens volunteer every week, stocking, organizing and operating the food pantry.

“The pantry being on-site really eliminates a lot of barriers,” Lovett said. “It makes my heart warm, seeing the smiles on our residents’ faces and seeing the youth come through with their parents. It’s really rewarding.”

Other partners supporting the Jordan Park Community Food Pantry include St. Pete Free Clinic, the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Dole, Partnership for a Healthier America and the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation.

Corey Givens Jr., Council Member-elect for District 7 and a Jordan Park native, gave an impassioned speech at Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“For far too long, Jordan Park was overlooked, overshadowed and ignored. I am elated to see this making a positive impact here,” Givens said. “It is unfair and unethical for more than 20,000 residents – more than 5,000 children – to live without access to quality, healthy, nutritious food. It is wrong for parents to have to work two and three jobs just to put food on their table for their children, and it is not right for our seniors to go to bed hungry. I promise that as a partner of yours on the St. Pete City Council, we will do all we can to keep this pantry full.”

Lovett said that in addition to serving the residents of Jordan Park, the food pantry has opened its doors to those living in the neighboring communities, as well. The Jordan Park Community Food Pantry is open every Thursday from 3-5 p.m.

Read the article and watch the news segment as originally published at https://stpetecatalyst.com/new-food-pantry-opens-in-south-st-pete/

Organizations all over the Tampa Bay Area are coming together to help people in need after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The Juvenile Welfare Board and St. Pete Free Clinic distributed food to hundreds of people Saturday morning.

“It was a tremendous impact. We pretty much lost everything that we have,” said Ladarius Hollowell.

“In the 27 years that we’ve lived here, we have never experienced this type of devastation,” said Felicia Cannistraro.

Families all over the Tampa Bay Area are struggling to pick up the pieces after hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“I have relatives that lost their homes from the flooding in the Northeast St. Pete area and you know, just damage and devastation,” said Cannistraro.

Many people are displaced and said having food is a blessing.

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“Between prices of inflation, and then the availability, it’s just been hard to get stuff, so we are happy that this is available to us,” said Cannistraro.

The St. Pete Free Clinic and the Juvenile Welfare Board are teaming up to help alleviate some stress.

“For those who lost days of work, and are struggling to have enough for November rent, much less food, and the things they need for their home, is especially important right now,” said CEO of Juvenile Welfare Board, Beth Houghton.

The organizations are holding food and hygiene product distributions. One happened Saturday morning and according to organization leaders, it was one of the largest distributions they’ve seen in years.

We distributed a lot of food, but this is far greater,” said Houghton.

The line stretched for roughly a mile with people who have lost their homes and belongings.

“It does make me a little emotional seeing how much people have lost,” said Hollowell.

Houghton said she expects to see a similar turnout during future distribution events over the next few months.

“You often see tears. You often receive blessings. Very often we hear ‘I don’t know what I would have done without this,'” said Houghton.

Residents said they are thankful for the volunteers and organizations that are helping them through this difficult time.

“That also makes me emotional seeing people coming into help strangers for no reason. It means a lot,” said Cannistraro.

Read the article and watch the news segment as originally published at https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/local-organizations-hold-food-distribution-site-after-hurricanes-helene-and-milton

Pinellas County residents who are still struggling after hurricanes Helene and Milton are getting some help from their community.

The Juvenile Welfare Board held a food drive through for those who lost everything in the storms in Tampa Bay’s Nick Volturo shows us how the community is banding together in a display of resilience as so many work to recover.

“Compassion in action in Clearwater. These kind of events really help people get food in their house to feed their families, an army of volunteers distributing food to those impacted by the hurricanes.”

“We lost all our food in our freezer and in our refrigerator; we got a side by side. We lost everything in it.” Herbert’s lived in Florida for more than 40 years and never witnessed this type of devastation: “Piles of rubble that people have put out there from their homes. It’s crazy, crazy.”

Some arrived early cars backing up for miles waiting for their turn at the table.

“They lost everything that was in their refrigerator,” said JWB CEO Beth Houghton. They lost days of work so they can’t easily go replenish it.”

Each car received about 50 pounds of food including meats with fresh fruits and vegetables.

“When it comes to eating, keeping the family going, these are wonderful.”

They also handed out both adult and infant hygiene items, like shampoo and diapers.

“It’s really helpful for the community because a lot of people have kids. Some people have like four or five kids and they really need this stuff.”

And for many here events like these are a life preserver.

“People like this, doing what they can for other people. It’s wonderful.”

Helping turn that grief into gratitude.

“Thank you for coming out. Have a good one.”

“It’s an amazing community. And it’s awful, but it’s heartening to see how much people are helping each other.”

The Juvenile Welfare Board will be hosting more pop-up drive through events. You can find a list of those on their website or Facebook page.

View the news segment as originally published at https://www.wtsp.com/video/news/local/pinellascounty//67-6edf3ee4-e2c5-491b-ba2b-5e58ad3aaacc or on Youtube