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Welcome to The Lealman Voice

Welcome Back to Lealman Voice!

As we celebrate the incredible spirit of our community, it's heartening to see neighbors coming together and supporting one another. This is a wonderful time to share your news, events, and stories. We encourage all community members to seek out local happenings and engage with one another. Every voice in Lealman matters, and together, we can continue to strengthen our neighborhood and foster a vibrant community!

#lealmanstrong 

MEET THE TENANTS: AmSkills

Lealman Exchange is home to various tenant organizations that serve our community and beyond. Today, we chatted with Alisa Franz, Pinellas County Operations Manager for AmSkills.

Tell us a little about yourself and your organization: I have been with AmSkills for a little over two years and love seeing people transform their lives by training and obtaining a new career in manufacturing. I have just recently become the Pinellas County Operations Manager. If a person is interested, they can train for two weeks with AmSkills, and at the end of the two weeks, they can interview with several hiring manufacturing companies that partner with AmSkills. You don’t have to know one thing about manufacturing to succeed!

Tell us who you serve and how: Our adult Career Discovery Bootcamp students need a GED or High School Diploma, reliable transportation to get to work, and be at least 18 years old. If a felony is a factor, we must discuss it. We serve the community by offering the boot camp for only $35 for two weeks. We are a non-profit and rely on grants, private donations, and the sponsorships of partnering manufacturing companies.

What drives your mission? We are a non-profit, and our passion to transform lives cost-effectively drives our mission. While we fully support students attending college, we realize that some would rather not incur debt or attend college. We provide a two-week training boot camp to those who would like to get their foot in the door of the manufacturing industry for only $35.

Do you have an accomplishment you are particularly proud of you'd like to share? I am proud to say the Career Discovery Bootcamp is better than ever due to our staff's efforts to constantly evaluate and do better!

What programs or opportunities are available through your organization to our Lealman neighbors? The Career Discovery Bootcamp at the Lealman Exchange will be offered eight times in 2025. We will also offer teen camps during spring break and the summer.    

To learn more about AmSkills, visit https://www.amskills.org/ and follow them on Facebook / Instagram @amskills.  

Creating Community Through Connection: The Power of Local Events in Lealman

-Keara McGraw

There’s something magical about a community coming together. Whether it’s the sparkle of holiday lights, the buzz of a vibrant market, or the shared joy of fireworks filling the sky, local events are the threads that weave a neighborhood into a true community. They give us a sense of belonging, a feeling of “this is my place.” In Lealman, events like the annual Tree Lighting, the Lealman Farmers Market, the Honey & Arts Festival, and the Independence Day Celebration are transforming this special corner of Pinellas County, fostering connection, and building a brighter future for everyone who calls it home.

Mark your calendars! The Lealman Tree Lighting is happening this Friday at 6 PM, and you won’t want to miss it. Now in its third year, this cherished tradition brings families, friends, and neighbors together to celebrate the magic of the holiday season.

What began as a simple gathering has grown into a beacon of holiday cheer, complete with holiday lights, festive music, and fun for all. Families can enjoy hot cocoa, children can dive into holiday activities, and neighbors can share stories after a difficult year. The Tree Lighting reminds us all that we’re part of something bigger—a community that cares, connects, and celebrates together.

Entering its third month, the Lealman Farmers Market is quickly becoming a cornerstone of the community. Offering fresh, affordable produce and locally crafted goods, the market is about more than just shopping. It’s a place where small businesses thrive, relationships grow, and access to essential resources is expanded.

The market provides small businesses a platform to showcase their talents and connect directly with neighbors. Vendors often share that the personal connections they make are just as valuable as the sales they generate. For residents, the market offers more than fresh food. It’s a gateway to services and opportunities. From health and wellness resources to community programs, the market creates an environment where people can access what they need while enjoying an afternoon out and about shopping for fresh local goods. The next market will be Sunday, December 22nd, just in time to scoop up a locally made holiday gift.  

Celebrating Creativity and Community: The Honey & Arts Festival

The Lealman Honey & Arts Festival is a vibrant celebration of creativity and local culture, bringing the community together to highlight the region's unique talents. From art displays and live performances to honey vendors showcasing the sweet side of Lealman, this festival is an event where creativity meets connection.

The festival has provided artists, small businesses, and performers a valuable platform to share their work with the community. By attending and supporting this event, residents contribute to the local arts scene while strengthening the bonds that make Lealman so special.

For Lealman, these events are paving the way for a more vibrant and resilient community. They support local businesses, connect residents to services, and, perhaps most importantly, create a sense of place—a feeling that Lealman is not just a neighborhood but a home. They build pride in where we live and open doors to new opportunities, fostering a sense of hope and possibility.

The power of community events lies in the people who make them happen and the neighbors who show up. Whether you’re decorating a tree this Friday, buying produce at the market at the end of the month, celebrating art and honey, or enjoying fireworks on the Fourth of July, you’re contributing to something bigger.

So, as the holiday lights twinkle this Friday at 6 PM, the farmers market buzzes with life, the arts festival inspires, and the fireworks light up the sky, remember this: every moment spent building community is a step toward a brighter future. Together, we are #LealmanStrong. 

Let’s celebrate, connect, and grow together because community isn’t just where we live—it’s how we live.

Discovering Lealman: Atelier St. Pete

- Becca McCoy

On Haines Road, just off the busy intersection of 54th Avenue, a building once home to an auto repair shop is now a vibrant destination for pottery lovers.  The flock of flamingoes adorning the wall outside (a mural made possible by the Lealman Mural Project with Creative Pinellas and muralist Hanna Eriksson Patry) welcomes you to Atelier St. Pete – a pottery studio and gallery.

Owned and operated by artist Kayla Harbeitner, Atelier St. Pete soft-opened in January 2023.  They offer classes, workshops, and memberships for all levels of clay experience.  Ready to try your hand at pottery?  They have a one-time class just for you: you’ll make two bowls on the wheel or hand-build a mug that, once fired and picked up, will be food-safe and fully functional.

But you don’t even have to get your hands dirty to support local – Atelier St. Pete’s gallery and retail area is open whenever they are, stocked with a wide selection of pots and plates, vases and vessels, sculptures and more.  If you are looking for a place to get unique, locally made gifts, look no further than right in Lealman.      

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Atelier St. Pete is located at 5298 Haines Road North in Lealman.  They are open Tuesdays 11am-4pm, Wednesdays 11am-6pm, and Thursdays through Saturdays 11am-4pm.  Closed Sundays and Mondays.  Learn more at https://www.stpeteatelier.com/ and follow them on socials @atelierstpete.  

New state program will help repair storm-damaged homes

Via St. Pete Catalyst

Local leaders eagerly anticipate the launch of a new state program that would help residents left without habitable homes in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

St. Petersburg needs all the outside help it can get after the back-to-back storms damaged roughly 16,000 homes. City Council members discussed the nascent initiative at a Nov. 21 committee meeting.

Angie O’Dell, mitigation planning manager for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), said the committee members were among the first local officials statewide to learn about the new residential hazard mitigation grant program.

“We are trying to cut out the bureaucracy of having residents come through you guys, and you guys being the ones to administer the grants,” O’Dell explained. “The state is taking that on behalf of municipalities and counties.”

She said the state would also alleviate the administrative burden required to receive federal reimbursements. “So, that is how we are trying to help.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides recovery funding to local governments following presidentially declared disasters. The FDEM administers the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and O’Dell’s department facilitates approved community mitigation strategies.

City and county officials can use the federal funding to repair critical infrastructure, improve stormwater systems and purchase storm recovery and mitigation equipment, like generators. O’Dell noted they could also funnel the resources to residents rebuilding their homes.

Councilmember Brandi Gabbard said city staff and thousands of affected residents could use the state’s assistance. While FDEM has an implementation plan, O’Dell could not offer “any definitive timelines” for the program’s launch.

“We do not have our vendors secured for the application process,” she added. “However, I know … we have to have applications submitted to FEMA in March. So, we’re really trying to expedite this process as quickly as possible.”

O’Dell said a state vendor would provide the program’s project managers, who will help guide residents through the application process, respond to information requests and compile FEMA-required supporting documentation. Case managers will address problems with construction contractors and offer status updates.

Residents can use grant funding to elevate, demolish and rebuild their homes. Gabbard said the increased demand for local specialty construction companies presents another hurdle for homeowners.

“We’ve got a contractor shortage already,” she continued. “And two, an actual elevation of a property, we know, is kind of a specialty.”

O’Dell said the FDEM would issue a statewide request for vendors. The agency will also “try to find some of these specialty contractors” based outside Florida.

Approved applicants will receive a list of vetted companies. “That is great because that’s always been a challenge,” Gabbard said. “You get your grant, but can you find somebody to actually do the work?”

O’Dell reiterated the state’s focus on expediting the rebuilding process. She said the goal, which may overwhelm contractors, is to complete a typical three-to-four-year project in 12 to 18 months.

Gabbard stressed the need to provide residents with related information updates, particularly those who need FEMA’s temporary housing assistance throughout the rebuilding process. Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz expects an influx of applications and asked how many people could receive grants.

O’Dell could not estimate the number of homeowners FDEM is “looking to see through this.” She said local governments could compile lists of interested residents.

Those in need can also subscribe to receive FDEM email updates through an online portal. O’Dell said the agency will soon issue a mass notification with “some of the things you can start doing to help expedite your application process.”

“I have not been given the okay to just notify counties and municipalities that we’re doing a state-run program,” O’Dell added. “So, this is a lot of word-of-mouth at the current moment.”

Free Pet Food at LEX!

Thanks to the generosity of SPCA Tampa Bay, pet food is available for neighbors in need at Lealman Exchange. Residents can stop by Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to pick up food for their pets.

This event provides a valuable opportunity for individuals who have not yet applied for assistance, have a pending status, or were previously denied to speak directly with a FEMA representative about their cases. Interpreters will be available for Spanish and Vietnamese speakers to ensure clear communication.

911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Trainee

Starting pay of $22.15* hour. Upon completion of training receive a promotion to 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator with a pay increase to $24.37 per hour.

Employees are eligible for an additional stipend(s).

• 7% market driven skills supplement once the employee is working independently and initial training is completed.
• 5% shift differential for afternoons  (majority of shift between 5pm and midnight) & 10% shift differential for nights (majority of shift between midnight and 6am) 

*Candidates with recent (within 1 year) experience in an emergency communications center may be eligible for a higher starting pay

 Hours:

9-1-1 is a 24/7 call center environment. 9-1-1 Telecommunicators are considered ‘essential employees’. Schedules are varied, please read the details below.

 Classroom Training:

• 8 weeks long – starting at 6 AM ending at 2 PM or 6 PM, depending on syllabus
• Five-day work week
• 40 to 44 hours each week
• Monday – Friday schedule

APPLY

Top local artists on display in new free exhibit at the Gallery at Creative Pinellas

The nonprofit will host a fundraiser Saturday to support artists affected by hurricanes.

Via ABC Action News

Some of the top artists in Tampa Bay — painters, sculptors, poets and more — are on display at a free new exhibit at the Gallery at Creative Pinellas in Largo.

The nonprofit local arts agency uplifts local talent all year long, but its 2024 Arts Annual is a must-see "greatest hits" collection of remarkably inventive talents, including John Gascot, Kate Cummins, Luci Westphal and more.
The gallery is free to the public and is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The gallery, which is next to the Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village, also features a new Holiday Pop-Up Shop, where many of the featured artists are selling prints, ornaments, jewelry and more at affordable prices, some as low as $10 and under.

This has been a hard hurricane year for Tampa Bay, and that goes for artists as well.

To help the artists whose studios and work were either destroyed or damaged by the storms, Creative Pinellas is hosting the Arts Annual Hurricane Relief Fundraiser on Dec. 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. With money raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, and art sales, Creative Pinellas will distribute 80% of net proceeds to Pinellas County artists and arts organizations.

At the fundraiser, there will also be an exhibit called "Still Shining," sponsored by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. "Still Shining" will showcase 25 Pinellas County artists who have created pieces "celebrating the resilience and enduring beauty of the region in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton." This art will also be on sale to support hurricane relief.

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