Tarpon Springs Grant Recipients

Empowering a Community in Building Resiliency

Peace4Tarpon, a non-profit community organization committed to educating all sectors of the community regarding the impact of individual and systemic trauma and creating a just, healthy and resilient Tarpon Springs, just announced the recipients of its Building Resiliency Grants.

On March 31, nine mini-grants up to $1,000 each were awarded to individuals, schools and organizations which had submitted proposals designed to build resiliency within Zone 1 of Tarpon Springs, one of the five neighborhoods in Pinellas County which struggles with negative factors related to higher levels of poverty. The grants were awarded to address expressed needs arising from interviews which had been conducted by Peace4Tarpon’s Community Outreach Action Team, chaired by Carl vom Eigen and Chris Warwick, with people living and/or working within Zone 1.

Projects which were funded addressed improving life skills of children, youth, or adults; improving the physical environment of the community; or improving equitable opportunity for growth and advancement.

These grants advance specific projects or programs which will take place within Zone 1 in the next four months. A pre-school program will assist children in learning calming techniques. An employment program for young teenagers will assist participants in understanding the importance of educational pursuits to improve their life and ultimately break the cycle of generational poverty. A Youth Summit will allow youth to organize and promote a resilient and safe community. An affordable yoga class will be provided for children to teach self-care techniques. A parent/family program will assist parents in making stronger connections with their children so that the family can succeed together. The work of a community garden will be enhanced. An Earth Day clean up and celebration will focus on Zone 1. An elementary school program will help students exposed to trauma or who have trauma risk factors regulate their emotions and develop appropriate social-emotional skills to ensure academic and social success. A “Circle of Security Experiential Parent Group” will be offered to teach parents in a non-threatening way about brain development in children and how this impacts their child rearing behaviors and techniques.

Peace4Tarpon (P4T) was able to finance these mini-grants through a Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) grant. P4T is one of fourteen communities from across the country given funding through a two year learning collaborative to expand their innovative work in addressing childhood adversity (ACEs) through a project launched by The Health Federation of Philadelphia, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The California Endowment. “There can be no Culture of Health without preventing or healing the impact of childhood adversity and trauma,” said Natalie Levkovich, CEO of The Health Federation.

Pictured in photo:

Recipients: Front Row (left to right) Phyllis King-Robert, Kellymarie Archibald, Trisha Bryant-Rodriguez, Mariflor Colon Cremonie. Back Row: Chris Warwick (Peace4Tarpon Board), Molly Longmire, David Archie, Therese Christopher, Anita Smith, Carl vom Eigen (Peace4Tarpon Board). Not pictured: Jacki Malone.