‘Not My Son’ Community Canvassing Activities Start June 9
St. Petersburg, Fla. (June 7, 2017) – The ‘Not My Son’ campaign for another safe summer in St. Pete kicks off this week! Continuing grassroots efforts from last summer, St. Petersburg officials and community partners will launch ‘Safe Summer Not My Son,’ a community engagement campaign to “Increase the Peace” and keep our children safe again this summer. Join us for a community canvass, starting this Friday:
FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2017 – 6:30 PM in the Wildwood Community
Meet at New Faith Free Methodist Church, 2427 Irving Street South
Contact: Pastor Curtiss L. Long Sr. 727-824-2814
FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017 – 6:30 PM in the Harbordale Community
Meet at corner of 22nd Avenue South & Highland Street South
Hosted by Kingdom Restoration, Inc. Contact: Pastor Shurrea Daniels: 727-564-1389
Free T-shirts, posters and yard signs are available while supplies last. City leaders and community partners rally for the safety and enrichment of each and every child and teen in the area – inviting everyone to take community involvement a step further. The entire community – businesses, neighbors, parents, students, teams, clubs and religious groups are invited to join a community canvass activity.Future dates will be announced.
Last summer, more than 15 events drawing more than 1,100 participants were held June to September 2016, including Scrubbin’ Da Burg, where hundreds of teens helped with clean up and work projects during the annual city-wide work day.
Canvassing events will continue weekly, mostly on Friday evenings throughout the summer, initiated by recreation centers, neighborhood groups and places of worship.
Last year, following the lead of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men, Mayor Rick Kriseman expanded the White House campaign to include young women in addition to young men, ages 12 to 24. Under the umbrella initiative, My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper, St. Petersburg introduced two signature programs that strive to serve notice that education, opportunities and positive relationships are the formula for hope in the South St. Petersburg community. In addition to the Safe Summer Not My Son grassroots community outreach efforts started in June 2016, the city established the first Cohort of Champions youth training initiative in January 2017, working directly with 100 young men in a one-year multi-faceted program.
“MBSK, through the Not My Son and Cohort programs, is an attempt to join the sources of the community together, redirect the trajectory that we see in many of our young people, particularly African American boys in our communities. It’s not only happening in St. Petersburg, but it’s an epidemic happening across the nation,” according to Rev. Kenny Irby, Community Intervention Director for the city of St. Petersburg.
Two ways to get involved: Take the Not My Son pledge online or join us for a community canvass. To learn more about My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper and the Safe Summer Not My Son campaigns, call 727-893-7708 or visit www.stpete.org/mbsk.