Our health shapes our opportunities

Founded in 1970, St. Pete Free Clinic (SPFC) began by helping uninsured adults access healthcare. Today, the organization has expanded, providing healthcare, food and housing to people in need throughout Pinellas County.

It may be called a clinic, and much of its work is done by volunteer physicians, but the clinic’s efforts go beyond medicine. SPFC has grown to become Pinellas County’s largest food bank, distributing over 20 million pounds of food each year. It’s the county’s largest food pantry, serving over 30,000 visitors every month, around 500 households per day.

“Over 70% of the food we provide the community is consistently fresh produce as well as healthy protein and dairy,” said Jennifer Yeagley, CEO of the SPFC. “We want children to thrive today and in the future. Providing nutritional food to children takes things to the next level.”

More access to more nutrition

Raymond James has had a multi-decade partnership with SPFC, but it’s through our new Ready for School program – a firmwide initiative focused on helping children inside the classroom, outside the classroom and beyond the classroom – that the firm has provided a three-year grant in support of SPFC’s ongoing efforts to address childhood food insecurity in Pinellas County.

“There’s a lot of important work happening inside the classroom, but there are critical opportunities to help beyond the classroom,” said Jodi Perry, head of advisor recruiting at Raymond James and board member at SPFC. “From my perspective, that’s where SPFC fills a niche.”

Yeagley offers an example: “SPFC partners with around a dozen preschools in the county as part of our Fresh Sprouts program. Our volunteers pack healthy food accompanied with a new recipe each week that’s specific to the packed food items. We also include age-appropriate educational materials for preschoolers and a tabletop card that encourages families to talk over a meal.”

Yeagley shared a quote that illustrates the impact of the Fresh Sprouts program from one parent's perspective: “The food has been a blessing for my family,” a program participant said. “We’re able to eat nutritious food that I cannot afford to buy, and it keeps my children from going to bed hungry.”

The program has the power not only to alleviate caregivers' worries, but also to promote good nutrition while reinforcing the principle that everyone deserves to be healthy.

Browse through SPFC’s healthy recipe cards here, and try them yourself!

Nutrition is a long-term investment

“Research tells us that when kids are healthy, not just fed, they perform well in school and are set up to thrive,” said Yeagley. “Supporting the health of our community is something we hold dear. It’s central to our mission, and we’re grateful to have partners like Raymond James to support our efforts.”

“Raymond James loves its community,” Perry added. “That puts SPFC and Raymond James in direct alignment. The Ready for School program acts as a conduit between the firm and the organization. In my time working with SPFC, it’s been inspiring to see the focus shift toward helping families access nutrition and children understand the importance of it.”

Meeting a child’s basic needs is the engine driving achievement, but good nutrition is a meaningful additional layer in the overall investment in their future.

Learn more about SPFC at thespfc.org.

SPFC is one of 11 Ready for School organizations making a difference in the lives of students across Tampa Bay. Learn more at raymondjames.com/ready-for-school.

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