Building Leaders, Opportunities, Connections and Knowledge

PREPARE TOGETHER • ACT TOGETHER

• REFLECT TOGETHER • CARRY IT FORWARD

Building on Success.

We Had the Meetings. Now We’re Doing the Work.

Something is happening in Childs Park.

Over the past several months, neighbors have been meeting, planning, serving, learning and taking action together.

Through CPNA’s BLOCK Model, we’re working block by block to Build Leaders, Opportunities, Connections and Knowledge—increasing our neighborhood’s ability to identify problems, connect people with resources and take action together.

And we’re not just talking about it.

We’re putting the process to work.

PREPARE TOGETHER

Before there is action, there is organizing.

We bring people together, listen to what neighbors are experiencing, map where we live, identify priorities and determine who can help.

That preparation gives residents an opportunity to move from simply identifying problems to helping shape solutions.

One Body, Many Members

Our committees and work areas have different responsibilities, but none of them work alone.

ACT TOGETHER

Planning matters. But eventually, the plan has to become action.

In recent months, neighbors and partners have rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work.

We’ve organized neighborhood cleanups, supported Senior Wellness Day, created positive spaces for youth and families through Friday Night Done Right and Family Fun Days, and hosted a community block party connecting residents with resources—and each other.

These aren't disconnected events.

They are opportunities to practice organizing.

Looking Up Before the Storm

Preparing our neighborhood also means paying attention to the physical conditions around us.

Ahead of hurricane season, residents went into the community to identify and document areas where trees and vegetation near power lines may need attention.

Observe it. Document it. Report it. Follow up.

That's neighborhood resilience in practice.

REFLECT TOGETHER

The Block Model doesn't end when the event is over.

After we act, we ask: What worked? What didn't? What did our neighbors tell us? What did we learn? What should we do differently next time?

Our early Block Model pilot taught us that we could complete a coordinated action from beginning to end—it also showed us areas we need to work on to be more efficient, effective and organized.

That's not failure. That's learning.

And learning makes the next action stronger.

CARRY IT FORWARD

The goal isn't simply to have a successful event.

It's to leave the neighborhood stronger than we found it.

Every action should help us:

B — BUILD

Putting the pieces together

L — LEADERS

Residents prepared to help lead the next action.

O — OPPORTUNITIES

More ways for people to participate, serve and access resources.

C — CONNECTIONS

Neighbors and partners who know each other and know how to work together.

K — KNOWLEDGE

A better understanding of our blocks, our resources, our systems and how to get things done.

That's BLOCK.

Building Leaders, Opportunities, Connections and Knowledge.

ACT LOCALLY. LEARN COLLECTIVELY. ORGANIZE NEIGHBORHOOD-WIDE. INFLUENCE SYSTEMS.

When Block Leaders and residents begin connecting across Childs Park, something bigger becomes possible.

A problem on one block may reveal a problem affecting ten blocks.

A solution discovered by one group of neighbors can become knowledge shared throughout the neighborhood.

And when we discover a recurring barrier that residents can't solve alone, we can organize together and engage the people or institutions responsible for addressing it.

As we said at our organizing meeting: "We're not promising an outcome that isn't ours to control. We're committing to the process."

🌿 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & AIR QUALITY

Smell Something? Say Something!

Why it matters: Childs Park residents have raised concerns about odors and air quality near the industrial corridor for years. CPNA has continued documenting concerns, researching enforcement options and pushing for accountability.

The progress: Recent work has moved the issue forward.

• County enforcement: Pinellas County Air Quality documented permit violations, including an odor complaint verified by inspectors, and proposed a consent order with a $37,500 settlement and corrective/preventive actions.
• City attention: CPNA recently brought the issue before the City's Health, Energy, Resilience & Sustainability Committee. The committee unanimously supported moving the matter forward for greater coordination, accountability and reporting.
• Community voice matters: Years of resident complaints and documentation have helped keep this issue on the public agenda.

The challenge: The problem isn't solved. Residents continue to report odors, and responsibility is spread across multiple agencies and regulatory systems.

What's next: We're continuing to push for clear answers: What is being done? Is it working? Who is accountable? And how will residents know?

YOU CAN HELP.

If you smell something unusual or objectionable, report it when it happens.

📍 Where?

🕐 When?

👃 What did it smell like?

⏱️ How long did it last?

Smell Something? Say Something!

We organize. We document. We follow up.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNTIES

WE NEED YOU!

Don’t Be Scared, VOTE! is coming together, and we're looking for volunteers, organizations, businesses and community partners to help us make it happen!

There are plenty of ways to get involved:

Host a Trunk

Volunteer

Become a Community Partner

Donate candy or supplies

Provide an activity

Sponsor the event

Help us recruit and spread the word

You don't have to do everything. Just bring what you can to the table.

This is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3)-compliant civic engagement event focused on bringing our community together and encouraging voter participation.

SIGN UP TODAY: https://forms.gle/yUKw4EQVGH2NodjL9

Don’t Be Scared, VOTE!

Saturday, October 31 | 4–7 PM

1526 49th Street South

Our Neighborhood Votes!