PROGRAMS & PLANNING
The City of St. Petersburg has allocated $1.179 million using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to improve food access and security in St. Petersburg. Healthy St. Pete and community partners are working together to increase access to nutritious foods, develop a plan to strengthen our local food system, and ensure children continue to receive meals during out of school time.
Summer Food Service Program
Provides free breakfast and lunch to anyone 18 years or younger. Summer meals are served in 17 locations throughout St. Pete. No registration required. Find a Summer Food Location near you here.
Healthy Food Action Plan
Is a community planning effort aimed at addressing the social, environmental, economic, and physical aspects of food access and security in St. Pete through programs, projects, partnerships, and policies.
Read the Healthy Food Action Plan
Community Food Grant Program
The Community Food Grant Program is a competitive grant program that aims improve health equity for all residents in St. Petersburg by funding local non-profit agencies who will implement projects that align with the Healthy Food Action Plan (HFAP) Areas of Focus and strategies.
The City will award up to $300,000 total, in tiers of $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000 to area nonprofit organizations that submit projects aligning with one or more of the Healthy Food Action Plan’s areas of focus that include supporting local food economy and community building, improving food access and security, and strengthening community health and wellness. Projects should be implemented from January 1 – December 31, 2025.
Visit the City’s ARPA page to learn more.
FRESH Pace Healthy Neighborhood Store Program
Led by the St. Peterburg Free Clinic the program provides healthy food options to families living in areas with limited access to nutritious foods.
The St. Petersburg Food System’s Map can be used to locate and assess food resources around the city, including FRESH Pace neighborhood stores.
Please click the graphic above to view the interactive map or click here for a list of terms and definitions related to the map.
Visit a Fresh Pace Healthy Neighborhood Store!
Healthy St. Pete Programs and Partnerships
This program offers fresh and affordable produce to families as well as nutrition education at 11 recreation centers around the city.
Food Systems Memberships & Committees
Members of the Healthy St. Pete team participate in the following teams and committees: Florida Food Policy Council, Pinellas County Teen Food Security Committee, Juvenile Welfare Board Pinellas Childhood Hunger Initiative, Department of Health Pinellas Community Health Needs Assessment Committee, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Community Benefit Strategic Implementation Plan member, Chair of School Health Advisory Committee Pinellas County Schools.
Reach St. Pete is a local nonprofit that has converted a donated PSTA bus to a grocery store on wheels. This bus currently offers free groceries and hygiene items at Enoch Davis Recreation Center and Campbell Park Recreation Center every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. There are no eligibility requirements to shop on this bus. Please click here to view the bus route.
The Summer Food Program, a federally funded program that the Parks and Recreation Department has had in effect for around 40 years. It’s provided food to children during the summer when school is not in session. An estimated 100,000-150,000 meals are served each summer at 17 locations around the city.
Community Resources
Food pantries play a vital role in nourishing families. Photo ID or proof of residency may be required; some
serve specific areas or zip codes. This list is updated regularly; however, some sites may change schedules or
close without warning. Please call before visiting a site to ensure they are open.
St. Pete Free Clinic distributes to over 50 plus food partners within Pinellas County. All the food partners, plus other local food resources, are listed in the interactive map on their website. You can easily search by zip code to find the food resource closest to you.
Feeding Tampa Bay has a variety of food assistance options available across a 10-county region, like mobile grocery locations, food pantries, benefits assistance, and a job training program.
City-wide Programs and Policies
The 2016 Healthy Vending Standards Administrative Policy establishes expectations and standards for promoting access to healthier food and beverage items in vending machines located in City-owned and operated facilities.
Food As A Human Right Resolution
In 2021, the Health, Energy, Resiliency and Sustainability Committee introduced and passed a resolution declaring Food as a Human Right in St. Pete. This resolution was introduced by Council Chair, Gina Driscoll, with the help of the Parks and Recreation Department and Healthy St. Pete staff. The resolution focuses on increasing access to nutritious and affordable food in healthy food priority areas, the creation and implementation of a health food action plan, and other healthy food accessibility efforts.
Parks & Recreation Departmental Policies
The Parks and Recreation Department has several policies promoting the consumption of healthy food, including the following: Vendor- Mobile Whole or Uncut Produce, Healthier Food Options at Events and Programs and Healthy Lifestyles in the Workplace.
St. Pete Food Policy Council
Healthy St. Pete staff sit on the St. Pete Food Policy Council and are actively collaborating with its members and other organizations to increase food access.
Empowering youth to lead urban agriculture projects with community guidance and resources has proven to be a successful strategy in youth, workforce, and neighborhood development. At the St. Pete Youth Farm, young participants start as workers, then become mentors, managers, and eventually food systems leaders. They learn through experience, implement real-world business principles, and serve the local community.
Urban agriculture has many benefits and contributes to our collective economic, social, environmental, and physical health. The City approved ordinance amendments in January 2021 to expand opportunities for production and sale of produce.
Click here to see the City’s Guide to Growing Urban Agriculture. Healthy St. Pete’s map also includes locations of known community gardens, school gardens, and urban farms.