St. Pete Housing Authority continues effort strengthen resources for Jordan Park youth
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) has been working for several months to strengthen the resources available to Jordan Park residents, specifically the youth in the neighborhood.
SPHA offers free after-school programs in Jordan Park, like a tutoring program they partner with Exceeding Grace Christian Church to host and an arts program put on by the Warehouse Arts District Association.
Kids take part in after-school programs in Jordan Park.
"What we noticed was a lot of kids idle in the community. We brought a couple of organization heads together, community leadership, [and] the City of St. Pete is heavily involved. We wanted to collaborate to provide opportunities and gain some awareness of a lot of things that are going on here in Jordan Park," Kiara Lovett, the director of social services for SPHA, said.
Dig deeper:
Lovett is behind the latest partnership for the after-school programs with St. Petersburg College. It’s a mentorship program for Jordan Park’s youth called the Career Awareness and Readiness Events Youth Development Initiative.
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The goal is to give kids a taste of different career paths and fields.
A kid taking part in a tutor session offered in Jordan Park.
"The goal was to get these youth partnered with someone in the community that they are able to look forward to speaking to, give extra support to, guide them, and provide them with opportunities outside of what they are used to," Lovett said. "It is very rewarding and brings a huge smile to my face."
Lovett says providing the youth more opportunities is the overall goal.
"A lot of the youth don't know about a lot of opportunities," Lovett said. "They don't get to see a lot of that in their day-to-day lives, and I feel like that is important. It is important to know that their life is limitless, and they can be whatever they choose to be, decide to be in this life, and so we like to empower that."
Why you should care:
Through the partnership with SPC, professionals in different fields come to Jordan Park and talk to the kids.
Kids take part in after-school programs in Jordan Park.
They also plan events at the school’s Midtown campus, like a basketball game in a couple of weeks.
"I think that a lot of times I didn't have particular opportunities, and now since I'm in a place in the space where they’re able to educate me about the opportunities for my kids," Andrea White said. "I want them to have a head start in life and have things to choose from that I didn’t have growing up."
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White’s two boys, 10 and 12 years old, are enrolled in the after-school programs.
"I can help out other kids in the area, and my kids get opportunities that we otherwise wouldn’t know about," White said.
White added, "It feels good that I have the opportunity and that we are given the opportunity to do something better for our kids. That way, they can get structure into what they want to do as they get older instead of taking a job just to have a job," White said. "I appreciate the opportunity, and I embrace it."
Kids take part in after-school programs in Jordan Park.
"Not only does it encompass the aspect of building relationships and gaining exposure for the youth, but it's also about empowering our parents so they can also build on their children's success as well," Lovett said about the after-school programs as a whole.
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Most programs are for SPHA residents, but Lovett said some are for those on the Section 8 voucher.
What's next:
Lovett said they have some other programs in the pipeline, like martial arts, that start next week. She added they’re always looking for new partnerships and ways to help support the programs.
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"I appreciate the community's support. I appreciate the dedication of our partners and those willing to step forward and be a light in the lives of our youth here," Lovett said.
Jordan Park is SPHA’s largest community. They serve about 266 households.
The Source: FOX 13's Kailey Tracy collected the information in this story
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