Two city programs are helping to shape the future of St. Pete’s physical and ecological health. In recent weeks, the City of St. Petersburg announced two new initiatives aimed at improving the overall and health and quality of life for the city and its residents: the Healthy Food Action Plan, and the Tree Mini-Grant Program.
The Tree Mini-Grant marks the return of the popular initiative, which helps add to the city’s greenery in an equitable fashion. Grants of up to $10,000 are now available to neighborhood and business associations or organizations for specific improvement projects that build relationships and improve the community.
The goal of this grant program is to increase the tree canopy, diversify the species of trees, and optimize the locations of trees on public property in St. Pete. The grant period will remain open and accepting applications until January 31, 2024, at 5 pm. More information about this program and application is available at stpete.org/TreeMiniGrant.
This November, the city introduced its Healthy Food Action Plan, a new initiative aimed at addressing the social, environmental, economic, and physical aspects of food access and security in St. Pete through programs, projects, partnerships, and policies. Using federal funds, the project will be operated by Healthy St. Pete, a division of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department.
The Healthy Food Action Plan will focus specifically on 16 census tracks designated by the City as Healthy Food Priority Areas, utilizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Access Research Atlas. Each community identified has a 20% or greater prevalence of poverty and a significant (or majority) number of residents without access to a healthy food retailer within a half mile, considering walkability and no vehicle access. Specific concerns within each Healthy Food Priority Area include limited access to a variety of food retail options, transportation, and nutrition education, and are affected by income constraints.
As Healthy St. Pete prepares to launch the initiative, it has been holding a number of community food forums to receive input and concerns from citizens on how best to help those in need. The final session is on Tuesday, November 9 at 6 pm in the Campbell Park Recreation Center, 601 4th Street South. Learn more about the Healthy Action Food Plan at healthystpetefl.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
