The Well Selected to Lead City's Community Support Hubs Project

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The Well Selected to Lead City of St. Petersburg's Community Support Hubs Project

Selection of The Well is Next Step in American Rescue Plan Act Funded Project

July 7, 2023 - St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch announced the next milestone reached for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded project at The Well's Healing While Black Conference. The Well has officially been selected as the Lead Nonprofit to lead the Community Support Hubs Project."In recognition of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Mental Health Awareness Month, it's critical that we empower those who intimately understand the community that we're trying to positively impact," said Mayor Kenneth T. Welch. "I'm excited to see the impact that Dr. LaDonna Butler and her team at The Well will make on St. Pete in the coming years. With Neighborhood Health and Safety as a major priority, St. Pete's Community Support Hubs will be a key point of progress."As a sub-recipient of $8.58 million of the City's Health and Social Equity ARPA funds, Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) is driving the process to establish a network of Community Support Hubs throughout the city. PCF set up a competitive selection process to identify the Lead Nonprofit, who will design and implement each Hub. The Well was selected as the Lead Nonprofit, with Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (GCJFCS) and People Empowering and Restoring Communities (PERC) as its co-collaborating partners."PCF is thankful for the opportunity to be a champion for this innovative project. The team of organizations involved is already making a significant difference in the community, and we are excited to witness the positive impact they will have in St. Pete," said Duggan Cooley, CEO of Pinellas Community Foundation."No one knows a community better than those within the community itself. In order to move toward a healthier future, we need to prioritize and sustain community-led spaces where people can come together to provide and receive services, or connect with one another. These vital sources of belonging promote overall mental health and wellness, particularly for communities of color," said Dr. LaDonna Butler, Founder of The Well. "We are grateful for the opportunity to engage in this important work in partnership with the City and other stakeholders who are responsive to and care deeply about the well-being of our residents. Our stories matter, our strategies work, and we are worthy of investment."About the Community Support Hubs:Over the next 3.5 years, Community Support Hubs (Hubs) will be established in areas of need across St. Pete. The Hubs will provide trauma-informed therapy, case management, assertive outreach, and additional services that are responsive to each community's needs. Additionally, PCF will establish a shared services organization (SSO) that will provide administrative support to Hubs and other nonprofits across the city. The Hubs will be developed one by one, allowing for the team to learn from the process and from the community along the way. The focus will be to get the first Hub up and running by 2023, with the entire process reaching completion in 2026.Next Steps: Community Listening SessionsThe Well, their partners, and the City are leaning into community input that has been shared over the years. The goal of the community listening sessions is to build on that existing feedback, and focus intentionally on the development of the Hubs.The Well and the Hubs team will be hosting ongoing listening sessions, where community members can help shape what the Hubs will look like.This is a community-led process. Residents will give insight on timing, location, services needed and specifics that will drive the rollout of the Hubs over the next 3.5 years.Next Steps: Shared Services Organization Application Launch - Coming SoonPCF will be launching the application process for the Shared Services Organization to be selected - this will be the administrative support backbone of the Hubs and will build capacity in other local nonprofits as well.More information will be available here once the application is launched: https://pinellascf.org/grants/arpa/saint-petersburg/For more information: www.stpete.org/arpa.