Last year's LEX Listens brought together Lealman neighbors and organizations

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Welcome to The Lealman Voice

Welcome to the Lealman Voice!

The Lealman Voice is all about keeping our community connected and informed. Each issue highlights local programs, events, and the people making a difference right here in Lealman. If you have neighborhood updates, upcoming activities, or success stories to share, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can keep the Lealman community strong, engaged, and moving forward.

#lealmanstrong 

Your voice shapes your community

Lealman Exchange exists because of this community. The programs offered there, the partners who show up, and the direction the building takes are all shaped by the people who live and work in Lealman. On June 3, there is an opportunity to make sure that continues.

LEX Listens is a community conversation scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Lealman Exchange. The evening brings together community members and the nonprofit organizations that serve Lealman, alongside the team at St. Petersburg Foundation, to talk openly about what is working, what is needed, and what comes next.

This is not a formal presentation or a policy meeting. It is a chance to sit across from the people and organizations working in your neighborhood and tell them what you think. The nonprofits in the room are there because they serve Lealman. St. Petersburg Foundation is there because they want to hear from you before making decisions, not after.

Before you come, we are asking everyone to take a short survey. Your answers help us make the most of the time together and make sure the conversation reflects what the community actually needs.

Take the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOW6aSjtK5XOeVWHY3wW-1zfJp_yJL1FWgEx44ctCcAB9Olg/viewform

Then join us on June 3. Lealman Exchange is located at 5175 45th St N. Doors open at 6:30 PM

What's Happening @ LEX

View more events on the LEX Community Calendar!

Make some extra cash!

The Lealman Community Market is growing. On May 31, the market at Lealman Neighborhood Park will open up resident vendor spots for the first time, giving community members a chance to set up, sell, and clean out their closets while spending the day with neighbors.

Resident spots are $5 and space is limited. You can sign up online or in person at the Lealman Exchange.

The market runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a live DJ all day. Come to sell, come to shop, or come to see what your neighbors have been holding onto.

A few things to know if you are planning to sell: this event is for used and second-hand household items only. Food, new merchandise, and firearms or weapons of any kind are not permitted. Please take everything you bring with you when you leave.

Reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261254432679058

Partner Programs @ LEX

Health Corner: Parkinson's Programs

If you or someone you love is living with Parkinson's Disease, Lealman Exchange has programs running every Tuesday and Thursday morning that are worth knowing about.

The YMCA at Lealman Exchange hosts both classes as part of a broader network of evidence-based Parkinson's fitness programming offered across the St. Pete YMCA system. The programs are designed to work together, and a support group for care partners meets during the Thursday class, so no one has to sit in a waiting room alone.

Total Parkinson's: Mixed-Ability and Chair Level Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10 to 11 a.m.

This 50 to 60-minute class targets the specific physical challenges that come with Parkinson's, including balance, posture, stiffness, slowed movement, and walking. Exercises are adapted for all stages of the disease, so it does not matter whether you were recently diagnosed or have been managing symptoms for years. The class also incorporates brain teasers during exercise to engage both mind and body. Seated modifications are available throughout.

Mindful Movement for Parkinson's Thursdays, 11:15 a.m. to noon

This adaptive yoga class follows directly after Total Parkinson's, making it easy to attend both in the same morning. Instructors focus on movements that translate to real daily life, with the goal of improving mobility, flexibility, balance, and posture outside the classroom. Bring a yoga mat. Chair modifications are provided and no physician referral is required.

Care Partner Support Group Thursdays, 10 to 11 a.m.

While the Total Parkinson's class is in session, care partners have a dedicated space to connect with others in a supportive group environment. This program is offered in collaboration with Neuro Challenge. For more information about the support group, visit neurochallenge.org.

To enroll in either fitness program, visit https://www.stpeteymca.org/programs/parkinson-s-disease-programs/ or contact the YMCA at Lealman Exchange directly.

Get storm-ready before the season starts

Hurricane season begins June 1, and there is a free event next weekend designed to help you prepare before a storm is ever on the radar.

Pinellas County and the City of Clearwater are hosting a Hurricane Preparedness Day expo on Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the North Greenwood Recreation Center, 900 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. in Clearwater. The event is free and open to the community.

Attendees can pick up free hurricane kit supplies, look up their evacuation zone, register for the Special Needs Evacuation Program, and connect with preparedness and disaster recovery specialists in person. There will also be a sandbag demonstration, an emergency shelter walkthrough, free disaster legal aid, and a chance to see emergency response vehicles up close.

Families with pets can take advantage of free veterinary services including exams, rabies shots, and microchips with the purchase of a county license. OneBlood will be on site for a blood drive, and donors receive a $20 gift card. The Salvation Army will provide free hot dogs and chips.

For additional preparedness tools, an emergency kit checklist, and evacuation information, visit disaster.pinellas.gov.

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