Placement: Proclamations and Special presentations
Action Requested: Discussion
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Hear a Presentation on the Love Your Block Program, Year 2 Review
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Submitted By: Stephanie Vernot, Community Engagement Manager, Communications Department
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of a Smart & Connected City.
Executive Summary (General Business): The Love Your Block program is powered and funded by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and brings together City leaders and residents to build stronger neighborhoods, one block at a time. Now in its second year in the Whispering Pines neighborhood, the program continues to partner with local organizations, neighborhood groups and residents to carry out community-driven improvements. Port St. Lucie is one of 16 cities selected nationwide to participate in Love Your Block in 2024, with Whispering Pines serving as the pilot neighborhood. The initiative aligns with the City’s Strategic Plan by advancing neighborhood engagement and helping build an engaged, connected community. Representatives from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation and the City of Port St. Lucie will present an update on the program’s second-year progress.
Presentation Information: City staff and a representative from Johns Hopkins University will give a PowerPoint presentation, accompanied by a brief video. Melissa Yunas, Engagement and Marketing Team Manager, will introduce the item and share the program’s latest progress alongside guest speaker Renata Campante from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation.
Staff Recommendation: Request that the Council Move that the Council hear the presentation and accept the progress report.
Background: In September 2024, the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation (BCPI) at Johns Hopkins University announced that City of Port St. Lucie received a Love Your Block grant to fund resident-led, neighborhood revitalization projects in the Whispering Pines community. Since its founding in 2009, Love Your Block has helped 50 local governments engage more than 88,000 residents across 50 states to remove more than 7 million pounds of trash, clean more than over 552,000 square feet of graffiti, create nearly 800 art displays and transform the areas residents rely on most. The Love Your Block grant was awarded to the City of Port St. Lucie with the goal of addressing community concerns, enhance quality of life and foster stronger ties among residents in the Whispering Pines neighborhood. The projects strengthen community well-being, access to arts and cultural opportunities, and fostered environmental resilience and stewardship. The Love Your Block team’s established goals were to engage Whispering Pines residents, improve public spaces, expand community events and increase equitable access to green spaces in ZIP code 34953 by 2026. These efforts supported the City’s focus to strengthen community pride, identified neighborhood champions and build sustainable partnerships across departments. Over the past two years, the Love Your Block program in the Whispering Pines neighborhood has achieved an impressive level of impact, hosting 33 deliberation events and 27 project events with a total of 2,467 participants. These efforts addressed a well-defined public problem statement and brought in 1,602 new volunteers, removed 870 pounds of trash, cleared 19 acres, planted nine trees and gave away 40 and completed nine repairs. Additionally, 25 mini-grants were awarded, distributing more than $57,780.99 and engaging 417 volunteers in mini-grant activities. Altogether, the neighborhood generated $104,687.15 in total funds donated or committed to the program, showcasing remarkable community dedication and progress. During the second year of implementation, the City completed 10 resident-led projects designed to increase community pride, strengthen neighborhood connectedness and encourage active stewardship of public spaces. These grassroots efforts were complemented by two City-led projects that enhanced the Whispering Pines Green Space to expand on the Naturally PSL initiatives. The City’s Love Your Block Team will present highlights from all nine resident-led mini-grant projects and the two City-led projects, including before-and-after photos, key performance metrics and stories that demonstrate the tangible improvements achieved in Whispering Pines.
Issues/Analysis: N/A
Financial Information: The Love Your Block program was funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The City of Port St. Lucie was awarded $160,000 over two years to support the initiative. In year two 25, mini grants were awarded. This grant program ends on Oct. 31, 2026. The City Council has approved using federal Community Development Block Grants to fund the program in new neighborhoods going forward.
Special Consideration: N/A
Location of Project: The Love Your Block Program targeted the Whispering Pines neighborhood. This program will serve as a blueprint for other neighborhoods and will be replicated in other areas of the City moving forward using Community Development Block Grant funding.
Attachments: PowerPoint presentation and video
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: N/A
Legal Sufficiency Review:
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