St. Pete Standard

In response to concerns about neighborhood safety, St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch affirms his commitment to the City’s youth, their families, and the community with a multi-pronged initiative.

The first phase of Mayor Welch’s renewed commitment is fourfold, centering around awareness, opportunity, listening, and leadership: 1) launching Not My Child, the anti-violence / pro-community awareness campaign, with a neighborhood community walk on May 26th; 2) spreading the word about summer camp offerings and activities offered by the City of St. Petersburg; 3) hosting community conversations with specific audiences to help inform future educational and youth opportunities; and 4) the hiring of a new Director of Education and Youth Opportunities.

“Feeling safe in one’s neighborhood is vital to those who call St. Petersburg home. At the same time, it’s essential for the City to provide opportunities comprised of meaningful programming and activities that contribute to the success and future of our youth – this is what I call our Opportunity Agenda for Youth,” said Mayor Welch. “It is up to us to create a safe environment where our residents can feel secure, while ensuring that our youth and families can make their voices heard and access the resources they need to thrive.”

Education and Youth Opportunities and Neighborhood Health and Safety are two of Mayor Welch’s five Pillars For Progress, which also includes: Equitable Development, Arts and Business Opportunities; Housing Opportunities for All; and Environment, Infrastructure and Resilience. 

Original source can be found here.