The Leadership St. Pete® (LSP) Class of 2016 has selected ALPHA House of Pinellas County, Inc. as the beneficiary of this year’s class project. As one of the oldest leadership programs in America and a division of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce® and its 501(c)(3) Foundation, LSP is responsible for making a difference in the community by working with a local nonprofit organization to further its goals. The project generally takes the form of a physical facility improvement for the beneficiary organization. Class members provide planning, fundraising and physical labor to execute the project.
“Our LSP classes work hard each year to demonstrate their care, concern and interest in our city. The class projects make a difference to those being served and demonstrates the intense passion our leaders have for making St. Petersburg shine,” said Chris Steinocher, President and CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
Pinellas County’s only residential maternity program, ALPHA House provides housing and supportive services to homeless pregnant women and teens, new mothers with infants, and families experiencing crisis pregnancies. The LSP Class of 2016 agreed this cause strengthens the St. Petersburg community by providing a safe environment for the mothers and children to thrive during these most fragile moments of their lives. Since 1979, ALPHA serves more than 3,000 women, teens and infants annually in their residential and outreach program. Approximately 90 percent of those who have gone through the ALPHA House program made a successful transition into permanent housing and independent living.
“We are thrilled to be chosen for this project,” said Jennifer Stracick, Executive Director for ALPHA House. “With new renovations and improvements we’ll provide a more safe and usable home for the homeless mothers and babies of Pinellas County.”
After tours of ALPHA House and discussions about the needs of the management and volunteers on site, the LSP Class of 2016 determined the facility is in need of improved security and renovations to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for the young mothers and babies who reside there during the first 18 months of each infant’s life.
Planned improvements of ALPHA House include a safe play area for the children, better security cameras, locks on doors, repairs to the perimeter fencing and automatic gate, landscaping and shade in a courtyard gathering area, and interior space improvements that are long overdue. Estimated costs for the project are $125,000 which must be raised by April 2016 to make necessary improvements to ALPHA House. The project work is expected to be completed by May 8, 2016.
The LSP Class of 2016 is presently seeking donations from individuals and businesses or in-kind contributions of products or services to complete the project. Send tax deductible funds to the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce at 100 2nd Avenue North, Suite 200, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 ATTN: Brittany Walsh. Please make checks payable to LSP Project or donate online at stpete.com/alpha.
About ALPHA House, Inc.
Since 1979, ALPHA has provided housing and support services to over 3,000 women, teens and infants. Through the years, approximately 90 percent of those who have gone through the ALPHA House program made a successful transition into permanent housing and independent living. ALPHA’s community outreach has distributed items to more than 30,000 families in need. ALPHA does not have specified age, income or geographic criteria.
About Leadership St. Pete®
The mission of LSP is to identify, recruit and develop leaders who represent the diversity of our city and who will assume future leadership roles in our community. The LSP program is made possible through the generous support of community partners like Duke Energy, Heritage Insurance, Eckerd Leadership Development Institute and Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College, Patron Sponsors of the Class of 2016.
To learn more about the wonderful city of St. Petersburg, Florida, check out this book by Cindy Dobyns – Moving to St. Petersburg, The Un-Tourist Guide