Pictured Above: Members of the Junior League of St. Petersburg pictured with Mayor Rick Kriseman on March 4.
Courtesy of the Junior League of St. Petersburg on Instagram
By Andrew Quinlan
The Junior League of St. Petersburg celebrated their 90th anniversary on March 4, including a “light up” at Tropicana Field, a declaration of the date as Junior League of St. Petersburg Day by Mayor Rick Kriseman, and the launch of a massive education donation program.
The organization, founded in 1931, is a group of young women dedicated to promoting volunteering activism in St. Petersburg and other local areas, including Gulfport. The group hopes to develop the potential of women and educate them and improve their community through effective action.
“It was amazing seeing the support from Mayor Kriseman and the Rays,” said Megan Roach, the president of the organization and a resident of Gulfport. “We look forward to continue doing more work to help grow St. Pete and the surrounding areas.”
To celebrate their landmark anniversary, the Tampa Bay Rays lit up their stadium inside the dome at Tropicana Field with red and white lights, which are the colors of the organization.
In honor of these celebrations, the Junior League of St. Pete is donating 6,000 bags to local schools that include different items that represent the organization’s various projects and programs: 2,000 bags have a book and bookmark to promote reading for their Literacy program, 2,000 more will have a healthy snack and recipes for their Kids in the Kitchen program and 2,000 additional students will have a coloring sheet and pack of crayons for their Kids Create program.
The organization has been focusing on youth education recently. They are currently running a fundraiser for John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg and Perkins Elementary in Gulfport.
“Education is incredibly important to us at the Junior League,” Roach said. “Our future is in the hands of young students, so we hope to leave a positive impact on them and inspire them to improve their communities.”
Junior Leagues have been a staple in America for over a century. The organization, which has nearly 300 divisions across North America, are a fixture in volunteer work. As their mission statement proclaims, “The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.”
The Junior League of St. Petersburg has clearly made a noticeable impact on their local communities, and is poised to continue to do so.
Pictured Above: Leslie Alpha Bestulic’s stand at the Gulfport First Friday Art Walk. (USF/Baron Reichenbach)
By Baron Reichenbach
Leslie Alpha Bestulic is an artist and a teacher with a story to tell about self-love and pursuing passion.
Based out of Pinellas County in Florida, she was present at the Gulfport First Friday Art Walk for March 2021. From her stand along Beach Boulevard South, she shared the focus of her interdisciplinary storytelling: sketches of a fictional character named “Lg.”
“Lg is a little girl who lives in a forest made of stars,” Bestulic said. She describes the character as her “voice through the simple ‘visual download’ to illustrate love and the meaningfulness of the individual unique journey and its role of connection and alignment.”
Bestulic designed Lg as a way to convey a sense of love and direction, with children being her target audience.
Lg was born from Bestulic’s sketchpad during a tumultuous time in her life. She made the decision to return to school for an interdisciplinary study of art, education and psychology.
Bestulic’s Meet Lg project is an interdisciplinary endeavor, combining the understanding she took away from her studies and the message she wanted to present in a mixture of writing, illustrations and other media.
She seeks to encourage readers and viewers to pursue their passions, let go of the unnecessary and address the “paradox of authenticity” – pursuing personal uniqueness as a way to enhance collective identity and purpose.
Meet Lg is an ongoing project, a “story, journal and worksop,” and currently consists of a website and two products: a set of Lg affirmation greeting cards and a paperback book, Meet Lg: Amazing Grace.
Pictured Above: 3 Daughters Brewing has many performers that are local with plenty of room for socially distancing. (USF/Lauren Kemmish)
By Lauren Kemmish
3 Daughters Brewing in Midtown St. Petersburg is more than just a place to get a bite to eat and a beer to drink with friends, it is an establishment that cares about leaving a positive impact on the community.
Mike and Leigh Harting, owners of 3 Daughters Brewing, were ready to open a brewery but could not settle on a name until they were joking with some friends about how many beers they will have to brew to put their three daughters through college, and then 3 Daughters Brewing was born in 2014.
Unlike the name, there is not much significance when it comes to the location of 3 Daughters Brewing.
“It all came down to the industrial city zoning,” Mike Harting said. Since the brewery is also a manufacturer, we did not have as many options when it came to picking a location.”
The brewery is working on opening more tasting locations in Bradenton or Tampa in the coming future. Although the Hartings did not have much of a choice in picking a location, they have made a big impact in the Midtown community.
Due to the location being in an industrial zone, the outside of the brewery looks like a big warehouse which does not make it seem inviting. But inside, there’s a huge concert stage with tables all around and a tasting room. This brewery is so spacious with a lot of room for social distancing which is why the brewery is still allowed to have local bands perform.
The brewery offers so much more than craft beer. It is dedicated to giving back to the community through charity work, volunteering, hosting events and making hand sanitizer.
COVID-19 hurt most businesses around the world, some survived and some didn’t. 3 Daughters Brewing faced many challenges, including having to lay off their entire staff not once, but twice. Thankfully, all staff members were able to make a return to the brewery once places started opening up again.
While being closed due to COVID-19, the brewery was able to make a few positive impacts, such as expanding on the brewery and making hand sanitizer for first responders, healthcare workers, essential workers and the community. During the pandemic, the brewery was able to produce over 4,000 gallons of hand sanitizer and donate it all to those who needed it the most.
“We have permanent safety and cleaning protocols in place now, along with staff members who are dedicated to sanitizing frequently touched surfaces. We make sure we follow all local guidelines and laws to ensure our staff and guests are safe,” general manager, Christian Harris, said.
3 Daughters Brewing loves hosting events, they have a variety to offer to the community and have local artists perform, small businesses supporting each other. The events are great for tourists to get a feel for the Midtown community and attracts visitors from surrounding areas. The Crawfish Boil is a big event that began five years ago for employees and some regulars, but it grew in popularity so now tickets can be purchased and anyone with a ticket may enjoy crawfish, good music and catch up with the community.
“To help limit gatherings at the bars, we opened satellite bars to alleviate some congestion. We added more staff to help speed up transactions and cleaning, but the brewery does rely on our guests to do the responsible thing by wearing masks and practice social distancing,” Harris said.
Hosting events gives the community an opportunity to come together. Another way that 3 Daughters supports its community is by donating. Certain criteria do need to be met in order to get approved for a fundraising event such as, must be a 501(c)3 charity and the request must be at least a month before the wanted date for the event.
3 Daughters Brewing has inside seating and outside seating to help everyone feel safe. (USF/Lauren Kemmish)
Alongside being highly involved with the community, 3 Daughters Brewing is also environmentally cautious. The brewery looks for several things when choosing vendors, “measure and minimize the footprint of their operations and products by looking at transportation, packaging, waste energy, toxicity, water, and GHG emission, creates a high involvement corporate culture which values and rewards everyone’s contributions, have a management system which demonstrates environmental commitment by setting goals and regularly reporting, work with other to improve the sustainability of their industry”.
There is never a dull moment in the Midtown area or for 3 Daughters Brewing with so many events taking place.
“Some upcoming events for people to look forward to are Doggy Noses and Yoga Poses, Paints Pints Plants, Mother’s Day Market, Father’s Day BBQ and Silent Disco, just to name a few,”Harris said.
All events are listed on the website with detailed information.
3 Daughters Brewing has been spotlighted in multiple news sources ever since they opened because the business really has made a positive impact on the community. The brewery has 394 reviews on Yelp with a 5.5-star rating. Based on reviews, the community loves a place to go to catch up with each other, get drinks and food, play games such as darts and shuffleboard, listen to local bands perform, sit inside or outside and the list goes on. The brewery has done so well over the years their beers can be found all throughout Florida 3 Daughters Brewing is overall a well-rounded establishment. From it being a family owned and operated business, caring about the safety of staff and guests with COVID-19, taking cleaning measures seriously, being environmentally friendly, giving back to the community and contributing to distributing hand sanitizer to hospitals who were in desperate need is the icing on the cake.
For those who are interested in learning the art of brewing craft beers, 3 Daughters Brewing has partnered with USF, St. Petersburg campus for a 23-week program. It is offered twice a year and allows for students to get the certificate while completing their other college courses. This online course allows for those who want to be successful in the craft beer industry to do so from anywhere in the world.
Pictured Above: Volunteers working with one of the youth as they prepare to move fresh soil. (USF/Nicole Billing)
By Emily Heise and Nicole Billing
The St. Pete Youth Farm isn’t just growing fresh fruits and vegetables; they’re expanding access to healthy nutrition in south St. Petersburg.
Midtown, located in south St. Petersburg, has been without a local, full-service grocery store for over four years, leaving the community to come up with creative ways to provide nutritious, healthy foods to the community.
The St. Pete Youth Farm is a youth development program and urban farm located at Enoch Davis Center in the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area. The area was developed to promote job and education growth as well as reinvestment in housing and neighborhoods. It is one of the largest CRAs in Florida.
Youth-led and partnered with dozens of community organizations, the farm functions to ensure nutritional security for the people of south St. Petersburg while fostering a healthy learning environment for young people. High school participants pick up valuable skills such as entrepreneurship, financial literacy and leadership, among farming and culinary expertise.
Carla Bristol, the farm’s collaboration manager since 2019, has worked tirelessly as the farm transformed from an empty plot of land to a flourishing, working farm, complete with an irrigation system and greenhouse.
Using surveys and meetings, the farm’s team grows the foods that the community asks for, such as onions, tomatoes, collards and kale. Classes are held to teach residents about farming in their own homes, culinary skills and nutrition.
“Just the knowledge the community will gain from having this working farm here will allow a lot more independence and self-reliance,” Bristol said.
Carla Bristol (third from the right) and some of the St. Pete Youth Farm team getting their hands dirty. (USF/Nicole Billing)
Daphne Gardner, APRN, FNP-C, is the owner and founder of Infinity Health Consultants located at the James B. Sanderlin Family Center. With her 26 years of nursing experience in St. Petersburg, she has witnessed the many changes in the community’s access to healthy and nutritious foods.
“In the area that I serve, which is the south St. Petersburg area, we don’t have a great deal of access to healthy foods,” Gardner said. “A lot of the area doesn’t have a nearby community grocery store… so it’s kind of difficult for those in the community to be able to eat a healthy diet, get healthy foods, and healthy nutrition.”
The farm, which is still a work in progress, plans to hold future markets where the people of south St. Petersburg can have access to nutritious foods. For now, they hold workdays where the community comes together to work on the farm and learn about nutrition. The turnout is always great, with volunteers and neighbors eager to help the effort, shovels in hand.
As Bristol always says, “Many hands make light work.”
One of the major factors that has impacted Midtown is the absence of full-service grocery stores and access to fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. Gardner explained that having access to local, nutritious foods is extremely important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“Either way, if there’s low nutrition of course you can have weight loss,” Gardner said. “Low healthy nutrition you can also have weight gain in addition to weight loss because the body is not metabolizing well and it’s just kind of sucking up all of those fatty foods.”
Anaya Graham is a high school sophomore who has been a youth ambassador for the program since 2019. Next week, she will meet with the Florida Department of Agriculture in Tallahassee to discuss the success of the farm.
She loves meeting new people through the farm and feels it has equipped her with many important skills she will carry into her future. Graham has also learned more about her community and nutritional security.
“I didn’t know much about food deserts until [the farm staff] told us that I personally was actually living in one all these years,” Graham said. “I thought having fast food places everywhere was normal until they broke everything down for us and told us how these fast food places were taking over our health.”
Some local businesses, such as Joe Brady’s Bait & Tackle, began stocking their shelves with fresh fruits, vegetables and seedlings. The owners grow the plants right in front of the shop, making it easy for residents to access fresh produce while also getting their corner store goodies, like chips and beer.
“Being able to empower these small, local, Black-owned businesses within the south St. Petersburg CRA and incentivize them to offer fresh produce as well, is a direction that I would like to see us take,” Bristol said.
Wendy Wesley, RDN, owner and founder of Wendy Wesley Nutrition, shared that within Midtown, there is a 42-square block area of St. Petersburg with no full-service grocery stores. This means that residents would need either reliable transportation to travel to a grocery store or go to gas stations and dollar stores.
“When you don’t have access to fresh produce, and basically everything that you would find in a full-service grocery store, which is meat, dairy, whole-grains, fresh produce, frozen produce, all of it, a lot of my patients were eating out of gas stations and dollar stores,” Wesley said. “Those foods are very high in sodium, low fiber, low nutrient and that is not how you manage chronic disease.”
Both Walmart and Winn Dixie were once located in south St. Petersburg, but they eventually pulled out of the area. Since then, there have been no proper grocery options besides numerous dollar stores and gas stations.
“It’s been four years since that store closed, and I think it’s time that the city makes good on its promise to put a grocery option there,” Wesley said. “Four years is a long time to manage chronic disease without access to nutrient dense foods.”
Both Gardner and Wesley explained that they treat patients of all ages from St. Petersburg with chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, cardiac disease and kidney failure. Their patients would admit they know how to eat, but the food generally does not exist in their community.
“Chronic disease worsens when you don’t have access to food,” said Wesley.
Bristol explained that food is essential, meaning south St. Petersburg cannot rely only on big corporations to meet the community’s needs because of the unpredictability of corporate decisions.
“I just want to see patients healthy and thriving, functioning and making the right choices in their lives so that they can live better, healthier lives,” Gardner said. “I just want the community to stay healthy and stay informed, most of all.”
Pictured Above: Entrance sign at the Gulfport Brewery + Eatery. (USF/Catalina Rasdall)
By Catalina Rasdall
First Friday in Gulfport is an event that brings all types of people together to share one common interest – art. People with multiple talents come out to show their work to the public. Aside from the art brought by the vendors, there was also the art of food.
There is a place for all appetites. Gulfport Brewery + Eatery, the only brewery in Gulfport, is where you can get fine craft beer along with original entrees. And the petite ice cream joint Let It Be, delivers homemade ice cream in a family setting.
Gulfport Brewery + Eatery, “Where Gulfport Gathers,” has only been in business since July 2020. The owners felt lucky when they stumbled upon the available location.
“We were thrilled to have landed this location; we weren’t looking at the time but thankful that it was open,” The brewery’s owner said.
This small craft brewery is very different from a typical brewery because of its unique interior and exterior design. It is designed and decorated around the structure of the house it is in. As soon as you walk in you get the feeling of having a large cookout at a neighbor’s house, and you are just going inside for a quick drink before going out to mingle.
There is an endless list of draft beer on tap which included Gulfport Gold Ale, Gulfport Port Pride and the Gulf Porter. On First Friday, the owners of the brewery offer samples of their beer outside which consist of an English Red Ale to satisfy fruit lovers with a subtle flavor of apple. Inside, a multiple dining set around the fireplace can be seen, which is a part of the house structure.
The environment of the brewery allows customers to come in and enjoy their beer in a family setting. After purchasing a beverage, it can be taken out to the lit up backyard of Gulfport Brewery + Eatery. The outside beer garden area is filled with patio furniture set underneath the tree string lights. This section of the brewery is what they are most proud about because it allows for safe mingling keeping in line with social distancing.
Patio furniture giving off a home feeling at the Gulfport Brewery + Eatery. (USF/Catalina Rasdall)
Gulfport Brewery + Eaterycame to Gulfport while the pandemic was at its peak. They were welcomed with open arms by the community and made it their number one priority to ensure safety for all their customers. One of their major ways to guarantee safety was to make the beer garden as open and spaced out as possible.
Gulfport Brewery + Eatery doesn’t only have handcrafted beer, but also a full menu ranging from delicious starters such as beer boiled peanuts which are cooked in their red ale to beer pretzel containing their beer cheese. These appetizers incorporate the brewery’s well-known beer mixed with their own special ingredients to create unique shareables. The appetizers represent the homestyle feeling of Gulfport Brewery + Eatery.
Their entrees include gourmet dogs such as, Bad & Bougiewhich include two all-beef Memphis style hotdogs made with barbeque, bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and scallions. A perfect entrée to share with a date or a friend.
The Gulfport dogs are two all-beef hot dogs wrapped in bacon, drenched in a pineapple jalapeno salsa and served with any choice of chips. This entrée represents the weirdness that is Gulfport Brewery + Eatery.
There is always something new at Gulfport Brewery + Eatery, you can check on their social media, @Gulfportbrewing, for their daily specials or of course, ask the bartender. The brewery allows you to taste various beers and enjoy delicious appetizers and entrees at a reasonable price.
“Keeping Gulfport weird” is Gulfport Brewery + Eatery’smotto, and in comparison with other bars and restaurants, they are staying true to their motto.
The exterior of the house is modest and welcoming, there is nothing traditional when comparing it to other breweries with their spacious lit beer garden. The interior of the house allows for conversation and time spent with friends and family.
After one of Gulfport Brewery + EateryGulfporter and their well-known 420 stack nachos with pork, beef or chicken, it is time for dessert. Keeping in theme with family style eatery, Let It Be ice cream has homemade ice cream and milkshakes for an affordable price.
Let It Beice cream creates homemade small batch flavors daily. These flavors include: chai matcha, chocolate peanut butter, banana pudding and so much more.
Let it beice cream shop instantly welcomes you with friendly workers who are ready to serve customers. The ice cream is owned and run by Janet Impastato and Tina Grello. Their shop was only a walk-up window in August 2019. Now they operate as a full-service ice cream shop near by their original window where it all began.
The inside of the Let It Be ice cream shop. (USF/Catalina Rasdall)
Ice cream is always a hard dessert to decide on but that is not an issue at Let it Be. They allow you to sample any flavor of ice cream to ensure you get the best experience.
First Friday in Gulfport opens your eyes to local businesses with great, different personalities. Gulfport Brewery + Eateryembraces the weird and wants to incorporate its own style into Gulfport. They bring you a grand beer garden open enough to have a cookout with new friends. Let It Beice cream shop lets you try new flavors handcrafted daily. With excellent customer service helping you spend time with the people you are sharing your ice cream time with.
Go on down to First Friday in Gulfport. Gulfport Brewery + Eateryand Let It Beice cream shop are only a few places out of many that have yet to be discovered.
Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary School opened its gates back in August 2003 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Named after the legendary Douglas L. Jamerson Jr., the school stands proudly in Pinellas County as a magnet school with specific concentrations on engineering and mathematics.
This unique curriculum allows students to engage in hands-on activities that spark the inner creativity within them all. With blended Pre-K, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes, Communication Disorder (CD) programs and other special services, Jamerson has an opportunity for every student.
Douglas Lee Jamerson Jr., also known as “Tim” to his friends and family, was a renowned Florida Commissioner of Education. His inspiration for success was inspired by his home life.
He grew up in the poor neighborhoods of St. Petersburg and went to Bishop Barry High School where he was the first black student that attended. He received two degrees, one from St. Petersburg Junior College and one from the University of South Florida.
Jamerson was honored to be elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1982, where he served five and a half terms. Unfortunately, he died of cancer in 2001. With these superb achievements, the school on 37th St. S was proudly named after the man who once made history.
The school also offers outstanding extracurriculars, like music classes, where students can play several instruments such as piano, xylophone and drums.
Jamerson is known especially for the Jamerson Jammers, a large group of kids who get together once a week and practice playing the drums, and perform the songs at school concerts. It is a spectacular outlet for the kids, allowing them to connect to music and friends.
“The best thing about drumming is learning to be a part of a team, and that they have to work together,” Marie Hill, the music teacher at Jamerson, said. She has been the music teacher at the school for 17 years.
“It’s helped me relax in times, like when I’m frustrated, I just think about the songs… and then I get to relax.” Chase Itzo, a fourth grade student at Jamerson Elementary, said.
Another long-term staff member of Jamerson Elementary is Judy Bryan. Although she has moved on to a different school, she worked at Jamerson for 11 years as the data management technician, and she is going on 17 years in the Pinellas County School system this upcoming September. Throughout her years at Jamerson, some of her biggest takeaways were the connections she’s made with the students.
“I loved being a mentor to several of the 5th grade girls. We would talk about their home life, do crafts together, and enjoy each other’s company. I could tell it really made a difference, and it did for me, too. Creating a bond with these kids really changed my life,” Bryan said. One of the most exceptional programs at the school is the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program, which helps students with autism learn to verbalize through their own unique way of communication.
Not everyone with autism can be put in the same box and be able to learn with the same methods. Jamerson makes sure each child is given the opportunity to grow in their own way.
“We had a child with autism who was nonverbal. He could think about what he needed to say, but was unable to speak. Jamerson was able to connect with Pinellas County schools and provide this student with a tablet that, at the push of a button, had different words and phrases. This tablet really changed his life, as he was finally able to communicate properly with his peers, teachers, and family,” Bryan said.
River Foster is a third grade student who has been attending since kindergarten. She is able to express her creativity through the different music and arts programs Jamerson provides. At 9-years-old, River thrives at her school and loves every second of it.
“I was hesitant at first, to let River attend Jamerson, because we had never heard of that school before,” Jennifer Foster, River’s mother, said. “However, I am so glad I did. She has made tons of friends, and gets along with all of her teachers. I never really hear her complain. She is always in a good mood when we pick her up from school. I feel like Jamerson really gives her the opportunity to be herself, which is really important for kids her age who are growing up. I would always recommend Jamerson to anyone looking for a school for their child.”
Even River was excited to put in her two cents.
“I love Jamerson! I hope, when I’m in fourth grade, I can become one of the Jammers. I also hope that one day my art will be displayed in one of the hallways,” River said.
Jamerson started out as an area magnet school. That means, living within a certain mile radius of the school allows enrollment. Jamerson encouraged parents to enroll their students in a school that was built in a low-income area, to allow for a wide variety of students, creating a greater connection within the community.
It was the only school at the time that offered an engineering and mathematics curriculum that was intertwined within all aspects of learning. In 2009, the current principal, Mary Jane Dan, applied for Jamerson to become a county-wide magnet school. Therefore, anyone in the county could attend. Jamerson was awarded this honor, and before long, it had a long wait list of students applying.
After 18 long years of attendance, the school remains a significant site within the Midtown community. With their special engineering and mathematics program, Jamerson is all about unifying the community and making a difference for every kid that attends.
Food and nutrition insecurities have been going on in Midtown in St. Petersburg for thousands of days.
In 2017, Walmart decided to close its Neighborhood Market in St. Petersburg, Midtown neighborhood causing the town to no longer have a grocery store in a convenient location.
Since the only grocery store in Midtown closed, food and nutrition insecurity began to spread in the community once again.
Many people living in this area have a low income and do not have the resources to drive to a distant grocery store or even afford what it would take to get to those grocery stores.
Of course, there are dollar stores and gas stations in the area that can help compensate for some of the food insecurity, but the majority of the food that you can find at dollar stores and gas stations is junk food and snacks.
With that being said, what is more of a concern for this community is the amount of nutrition they are receiving. They have few resources to obtain food, but when it comes to being healthy and eating nutritious meals, the community struggles.
Wendy Wesley, a clinical dietitian, describes Midtown as being more “nutrition insecure” rather than “food insecure.”
“Nutrition insecurity is meeting the nutrition needs of our city with unprocessed fresh produce, meats and dairy,” Wesley said.
About three months ago, Wesley served as a panelist for Churches United for Healthy Congregations and explained the differences between “nutrition insecurity” and “food insecurity.”
“The other members on the panel agreed that the community is only being treated for hunger rather than their overall health,” Wesley said.
While there are Dollar Tree stores and gas stations in Midtown, much of what the community can find is processed food that is not necessarily good for its health.
With that being said, although not ideal, there are some options in the Dollar Tree that can be a healthier substitute to much of the junk food that is offered there.
At the Dollar Tree, you can find canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen chicken and fish, pasta, eggs, fruit juice, peanut butter and trail mixes.
It has been over 1,000 days since this community has had a grocery store available to them, so they have to work with the resources they have.
Meals can be made from the food in the Dollar Tree. They can be somewhat healthy and give the community some the nutrition they are striving for.
There are recipes on the website that can be followed and everything in the recipes can be purchased in the Dollar Tree.
They have recipes for main dishes, appetizers and dips, breakfast and more.
One meal that can be found at the Dollar Tree is spaghetti and meatballs. Everything needed for this meal can be found in the Dollar Tree and is very easy to make.
All that is needed is some kind of noodles, pasta sauce and frozen meatballs. This meal has carbs from the pasta, vegetables from the pasta sauce and protein from the meatballs. A side of broccoli or other vegetable can also be added to this meal.
A healthy snack from the Dollar Tree can be rice cakes with peanut butter. It is 70 calories per rice cake and 90 calories per tablespoon of peanut butter. This snack is also very filling.
The nutrition insecurity that the community is experiencing can cause health problems such as diabetes, cardiac disease and even kidney failure.
With the pandemic still in full force, it is very hard for those in this community to get what they need and with other underlying conditions, can be dangerous for them to risk going out to get their essentials.
COVID-19 has impacted everyone and for a community that is already low income and has so many unavailable resources the pandemic has not made things any easier.
“To work on improving nutrition insecurity in St. Petersburg, a group of concerned citizens and I have formed a new coalition called “Nutrition Equity St. Pete” where we will take one nutrition-related issue at a time and provide education, build support and create opportunities for activism,” Wesley said.
As a dietitian, Wesley hears many stories from clients about not being able to lead a healthy lifestyle because of their need for nutrition rather than just having food.
“I introduced myself to him as his dietitian. I reviewed all of the foods he should be eating and what he should be avoiding. He let me know that he knows how he should be eating but the food does not exist in his neighborhood,” Wesley said.
This is not the only time Wesley has had encounters like this.
Wesley has been a very strong advocate for getting a grocery store back into Midtown so those living there can keep up with their health and well-being.
The plaza where Walmart and Sweetbay once sat had been empty since 2017.
The city reports that a developer with a grocery store tenant will come in later this year. This will be an amazing opportunity for those who need to get their nutrition back on track.
In the Midtown neighborhood of South St. Petersburg, there is an ongoing shortage of grocery stores and nutritional food options. The last grocery store in the neighborhood closed in February 2017. This store was a Neighborhood Walmart.
The definition of a food desert is an area where people live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or 10miles away in rural areas. It is an area where people have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Between the shortage of grocery stores and a lack of transportation, many people have had no option but to live off of a “gas station diet” meaning, the food they are eating is coming from the nearest corner store or gas station.
Pinellas County schools offer free meals and snacks to the kids countywide. This is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture Free School Lunch program. Meals are available at certain schools for children and teens under 18 years old. Starting in October 2020, meals and snacks became available for all children regardless of the school district that they are in. Up to seven days of meals are available for take out.
Lynn Geist, the director of food and nutrition in Pinellas County, stated that the healthy foods provided are to promote healthy growth and development in children.
There are 30 schools in Pinellas County that offer the free meals. Parents or guardians can stop by one of the schools that partake in the program. Pick up is Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The child does not have to be present and an ID is not required.
According to WTSP -TV 10, Tampa/St. Petersburg, kids living in food deserts may be at a higher risk of cancer. Researchers say that the lack of access to healthy food can be linked to cancers. Lack of access to healthy food also leads to obesity and other various health concerns. It is believed that resolving the food desert situation will prevent a large number of cancers in adulthood in the Tampa Bay Area.
The YMCA of greater St. Petersburg also provides free meals for students in the childcare system.
According to Eric Ventura, the previous childcare director at the Lealman campus, since the start of the pandemic, the YMCA offered full-time childcare camps for healthcare workers and a 10 week summer camp for students in Tampa Bay. These camps
included two provided snacks and a free lunch for all children. Any meals and snacks leftover were given to students in need.
“We usually knew which students would come back for seconds. It’s typically the same students everyday that take the leftovers,” Ventura said. “I think the parents appreciate the free meal options, we don’t have many students bring their lunch from home.”
The YMCA also has various food trucks and ice cream trucks come to the schools to celebrate good behavior.
An anonymous student who attended the summer camp with the YMCA said the free meals and snacks made her family very happy because “they know I was eating yummy foods.” She said her favorite meal was “pizza party Fridays.”
Rob Dudley, YMCA childcare leader, explained that even though the students received free meals, he would still have kids come to him asking for food.
“I would bring in my own snacks and fruit to hand out to the kids to take home,” Dudley said.
The food desert forces children to come home from school with a shortage of food options.
The national school lunch program was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch act, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946. About 7 million children participated in the first year, and in 2010, the program reached its highest number of participants at 31.8 million children.
COVID-19 has led to a dramatic increase in the food insecurity problem in Pinellas County. According to Feeding Tampa Bay, there are nearly 124,000 Pinellas County residents who are food insecure.
The pandemic has caused a dramatic drop in meals provided by schools across the U.S. A report from the Food Research and Action Center showed that there was a 54% drop in breakfasts and a 70% drop in lunches from October 2019 to April 2020. Schools have had to adapt to coronavirus guidelines when distributing food, in order to maintain safety of the recipients.
With these numbers dropping, families in the food desert who do not have the means to buy fresh and nutritional food are stuck having to live off of these gas station diets. Junk food can be found everywhere, but fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to find in a food desert.
Since the closing of the last grocery store in Midtown and South St. Pete, Nikkol Patton, Pinellas County resident, founded the South St. Pete marketplace which is a local farmers market with fresh produce.
Patton explained that she saw the need for a grocery store increase since the pandemic sparked. Starting in early November, the St. Pete market place opens in the parking lot of the Manhattan casino.
“So many people from my community are struggling to afford taxis and rideshare services to take them to get groceries,” Patton said in an interview with Patch.com.
The nearest grocery to the Manhattan Casino is the Walmart on 34th street south. This is approximately three miles away.
As of November 2020, the St. Petersburg City Council has agreed to take measures to deal with food insecurity by creating a Food Policy Council. The goal for this council is to open a grocery that not only feeds the food desert, but is also an economic development for Midtown/South St. Pete.
For more information on family meal distribution, you can visit Pinellas County Schools Food and Nutrition website to find the distribution locations and times.
This story also appears on The Weekly Challenger, the most comprehensive news source to the African-American communities of Tampa Bay.
By Annalise Anderson, Kristen Boehm, Julia Gennocro, Aliah Farley, Jessica Stewart, Malique Ferrette and Hannah Simpson
Like many aspects of daily life, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way congregations in Midtown gather, worship and nurture their spirituality. Following CDC guidelines, some parishioners have returned to socially distanced services in familiar sanctuaries while others are hearing the word from their cars in drive-in like worship. And still, others are watching live-streamed services from home. While similar in many ways, each church has its own personality, driven by music, pastoral leadership and the congregation.
There are dozens of churches in Midtown, some of them historic and grand. Others have opened more recently and hold services in small storefront spaces in strip malls. On March 7, journalism students in the Neighborhood News Bureau class at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg campus, attended services at seven Midtown churches. The vignettes they have written provide a glimpse into a typical Sunday morning there, made atypical by the pandemic. Despite that, resourceful church leaders have pivoted to continue leading the way forward.
Pinellas Community Church: In Masks, They Gathered Together
Pinellas Community Church is located at 1503 31st St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Annalise Anderson)
Pinellas Community Church showed no signs of slowing down just before the 9 a.m. service started. Cars filled the grassy parking lot, masked church staff pleasantly greeted guests and the surprisingly large congregation filed into a socially distanced space of worship.
A small crowd grew around a concession window for complimentary hot coffee or tea to sip on during the hour-long service. Some returning and first-time PCC members mingled while masked in the sunlit courtyard.
Temperatures were checked at the door, where automatic sanitizer dispensers stood at the ready. Churchgoers were required to wear face masks upon entry; once seated, they were permitted to remove them.
Chairs were divided into sets of twos and fours, with each set placed six feet apart from the next. Most families occupied their respective sets, but some individuals shared seating areas due to the size of the congregation that morning.
Jeff Countryman, PCC’s worship experience pastor, walked the sanctuary, fist bumping returning members and introducing himself to new faces.
The service began promptly. High-tech cameras on tripods sat at the back of the room, towering over the chairs and capturing every moment for those attending Sunday service virtually.
Both in-person and virtual congregations were reminded that the day’s sermon was available for read-along via the official PCC mobile app. Prayer requests and offerings to the church were also available through the app.
Then, the room went dark and a multi-piece band played energetic modern worship music. Colored lights, smoke machines and an animated background made for lively praise as members of the congregation sang, swayed and stood with palms to the sky.
Once the room was filled with a heightened energy, Lead Pastor Mark Canfield took to the stage to deliver the sermon. Between colloquial anecdotes, Canfield’s talking points included “practicing Jesus’s way,” learning to silence life’s noise and caring for one’s spiritual health in 2021.
At the end of Canfield’s sermon, PCC staff dismissed the seated congregation by sections to avoid unsafe crowding. Visitors wished a blessed week ahead and were welcomed to return again next Sunday.
— Annalise Anderson
St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church: Finding the Strength to Start Over
St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church is located at 1301 37th St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
It was a new day, the first Sunday in a new month. An opportunity for change, for choices and for starting over.
It began not in the pews, but in the parking lot.
At 9 a.m., the Rev. Pastor Brian K. Brown stood outside the front doors of St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church. He held a microphone and spoke to his gathered congregation. Some were able to join him physically, parked in their cars, socially-distanced and safe. About 200 more were watching online.
Brown smiled as he led everyone through communion. St. Mark’s staff of deacons, dressed sharply in suits, masks and gloves, handed prepackaged communion cups (including wafers) out to the folks who were attending in their cars. Brown invited everyone to partake together.
“Can we say amen or blow the horn?”
Like voices rising up, horns echoed around the lot.
Around 11 a.m., the Sunday service began inside the church. Much fewer were in attendance live, but nearly 100 more were watching online. On this first Sunday, people greeted each other in the chat of the YouTube livestream.
“Good morning, family.”
“Good morning again my beautiful St. Mark Family. It is a blessing to virtually worship with you today.”
St. Mark’s Praise Team, which consisted of a three-woman choir accompanied by live piano and drums, stirred up scattered clapping and hollers from the few in live attendance, and ‘hallelujahs’ and emoji from the chat. Brown’s head bobbed to the beat in the background, just visible from where he sat behind his pulpit.
When Brown stood and delivered his word for the St. Mark’s family that day, he was continuing a series of sermons titled “Starting Over.”
He acknowledged that everyone listening has had a start-over this past year. He spoke of how in Exodus, the Israelites were given the choice between fear and faith. He encouraged his listeners to choose faith, to embrace change and to look for the sweetness in every day.
“The bitterness called COVID-19 has made things very distasteful to us,” Brown said.
Among the amens in the chat, one message read, “I thank God for changing me from sour to sweet. Thanks, Pastor Brown, for a reminder message this morning.”
— Kristen Boehm
Historic Bethel AME Church: “You’ve Got The Power”
Historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is located at 912 Third Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (USF/Julia Gennocro)
At 9:16 a.m., the camera flashed on. Distanced across the room from each other, Gregory Porter and Ryan Kendrick led the morning worship on the piano, organ and drums.
Behind them sat three rows of red chairs where a vibrant choir once sang in union.
The video’s comment section was lively as the virtual churchgoers left warm welcomes and noted lyrics to the hymns that played as their way of singing along.
“Good morning Rev. Irby, Bethel family and friends,” Lolita Brown commented.
“Good Morning Historic Bethel,” the Rev. Dr. Patricia Smith Wallace wrote.
At 9:30 a.m., the Rev. Kenneth Irby entered the frame. He carefully removed his face mask before greeting the few in live attendance and those watching at home.
After a brief introduction and a few hymns, Irby stepped out of the frame and the Rev. Dr. Kevin Wardlaw, Alba Osborne and Linnell Baker each entered to deliver invocation prayers and readings from the Bible.
Irby’s sermon, “You’ve Got the Power,” centered around the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations, encouraging members of Historic Bethel AME to get vaccinated themselves.
“I’m telling everybody who will listen ‘take the shot,’ and if that doesn’t work for you, get the shot,” Irby said.
“It is a step of affirmation that you do have some authority, some power over your destiny. You have the power to preserve your health and to protect your life and the lives of so many others.”
The comment section flooded with “amens” and “hallelujahs” in response.
Irby moved on to talk about how “there is power in the unity of the community” and that it is especially present in Pinellas County.
He stated that people across all denominations have banded together under the common goal of getting community members vaccinated.
— Julia Gennocro
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church: Innovation Mixed with Tradition
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church is located at 3747 34th St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Pinellas County’s oldest church, has turned to YouTube in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic to provide its congregation with safe worship.
Every Sunday, following the live recorded service, St. Bartholomew posts to their YouTube channel, giving members the chance to find salvation from the safety of home. The weekly videos have created a digital haven that leaves those tuning in feeling transported and reconnected to their spiritual community.
Opening with a long shot down the center aisle, the empty but brightly lit, heart pine-constructed nave filled the online browser as if to welcome virtual viewers to find their seat within the pews. The church bells tolled, and the service commenced cutting to a closer view from the third pew. The camera was strategically placed behind members to cultivate an immersed experience.
The background echo of the socially distanced, masked congregation reciting the chosen readings in unison transformed personal living rooms into an intimate sermon. Now focused directly on Father William Burkett as he stood behind a tall sheet of plexiglass to protect those attending in person, he preached his Lent service.
“This has been a great idea. Informative and nicely done,” commented Edie and Jay Racine on YouTube.
Alongside sermons, a weekly hymn was posted by organist and choirmaster Anita Bona, giving an in-depth explanation on the history and importance of each song. Following the brief introduction, Bona played the instrumental adoration in the empty church with the organ’s majestic harmonies cascading through the church’s Florida Gothic style arches.
Beyond taking an innovative approach to Sunday service, St. Bartholomew’s has continued to serve the local community during the pandemic with its food bank and thrift store.
— Aliah Farley
Circle of Faith: Connecting Through Love
Circle of Faith is located at 1310 22nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Jessica Stewart)
The service at Circle of Faith began at 9:30 a.m. with peaceful hymns and a powerful message. Lead pastor Adam Gray spoke about the importance of unity within our communities and how we can transform change.
The Circle of Faith ministry promises to be, “a welcoming, affirming, diverse, progressive, nonjudgmental community of Christian discipleship and Service.” Located in the heart of Midtown, Circle of Faith aims to connect the community through love.
Gray spoke that morning as he usually would, preaching to those who attended in person the same to those online. His message rang true for unity, “the society of god,” as he put it, is how we all relate to one another, no matter where they were attending from.
“I have here flour, sugar, and water, all the ingredients to make bread– but they will never become bread until action is taken by the yeast,” he said, “the intentional action of adding yeast can create a beautiful change, a transformation from three separate ingredients into one delicious bread.”
His words brought out the heart of the Circle of Faith. “As separate members of a community, man or woman, gay or straight, black or white, doctor or GED student, these people would not typically mix in a society, but here they do,” he said.
He encouraged all walks of life to be the yeast, to work together with intent, so that as a society, we can stop separating one another and transform. Gray said, “we all need to catch this vision of making bread, then we will have the potential for all of our relationships to be changed.”
The service ran flawlessly, from the beautiful hymns sung to the extended prayers made for those in need, both virtually and present. The Circle of Faith invites people to come together on Sunday mornings, as they are, however they feel comfortable.
— Jessica Stewart
Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ: “A Fresh Start”
Elder Kieth Ash leading praise and worship at Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ. The church is located at 2230 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg (USF/Malique Ferrette)
At first glance, all seemed more normal than not as the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ service was live streamed and watched from the comfort of a TV screen at home.
The program, despite being carried out digitally, made for an easy transition into worship led by Elder Kieth Ash and then into the “word” preached by Pastor William E. Anderson.
Skepticism became a reassured comfort as the mood was set through the fervent affirmations of the praise team that “it’s shifting.” This, a reference to anything that may be going wrong in life right now. Ash asserted that, “God has given us the power to speak to mountains and tell them to move,” as he went on to pray and declare this change.
One comment on the Facebook live feed read, “late night in the midnight hour. God’s gonna work in our favor!” Another; “Hallelujah thank you Lord!” And yet another; “Victory is mine!” Despite their attendance as virtual, people were moved. Worship was charged and lively.
Those presenting, singing or praying did not wear masks as they were socially distanced however, everso often other members who appeared on screen did have masks or facial coverings.
With a focus on the subject of “a fresh start,” Anderson reflected on a gentleman he met earlier in the week whose mask was dirty, and who needed food and complained that he had no money. Though he had helped by giving a few dollars to the man, he still felt “convicted” because he failed to offer the man an opportunity for a fresh start by introducing him to Jesus.
The sermon continued with references to characters in the Bible who found themselves in need of a reset and were eventually given one.
“God is more concerned with our future than he is with our past,” Anderson asserted as someone commented, “Preach the word pastor!” His point was to shift people’s focus on what God couldn do for them even now.
S.T.A.R.T was the acronym shared as the formula for a new start; S — stop making excuses based on the past, T — take an inventory of our lives, A — act in faith, R — refocus, and T — trust in God.
It was an immersive experience as their Holy Communion was taken after the sermon, final remarks were made and an overall invitation was given for membership in closing.
— Malique Ferrette
Campbell Park Community Church: We Are Not Alone
Campbell Park Community Church is located at 1035 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)
Campbell Park Community Church has been conducting their services virtually each Sunday for the last year. Before the pandemic, recorded in-person services were posted on Facebook so anyone who had missed church could go back and watch.
Service began with a prayer from Pastor James Smith followed by Trust In You, a gospel song that rang out with themes of community and reliance. “You did not create me to worry, you did not create me to fear.” These words fell heavy because of the ways the pandemic has frightened us.
Smith started praying over specific people of the congregation calling out the names of those suffering from cancer and others who were sick. “We lift up all those who are sick right now before you,” Smith said.
After another song of praise, it was time for the sermon. The entirety of the sermon was intertwined with prayer intended to hand over worries to God. The congregants were reminded that they could not carry the weight of everything that has been happening in the world.
Minister Walter Brady highlighted scripture concerning the idea of predestination. He talked about what that means for Christians and used quotes from the Bible to point the congregation back to what predestination means for believers.
Brady also spoke on growth in a Christian’s faith and intimate relationship with God. He highlighted virtues that a Christian should be striving for and practicing in order to grow in their faith.
