Congressman Charlie Crist was singing the praises of a local program that’s changing the poverty rates in south St. Pete.

  • Rep. Crist introduces plan to aid south St. Pete
  • Crist working with Pinellas Urban League
  • 2020 plan aims to reduce poverty by 30 percent in the area

On Monday Crist took to the House floor to acknowledge the 2020 plan. The plan’s goal is to reduce poverty by 30 percent in south St. Pete by the year 2020.

Crist talked about the progress of the program while giving a shout out to the Urban League President who also happens to be his childhood friend. 

“I rise today to recognize an innovative effort in my home town of St. Petersburg Florida known as the 2020 plan. It’s goal is simple, reduce poverty by 30 percent in South St. Pete by 2020,” Crist said. “In 2015 alone the poverty rate in the community dropped by 8.5 percent compared to 1.6 percent nationally. This effort is truly inspiring.”

Crist’s friend and Pinellas County Urban League’s President and CEO Watson Haynes said he’s happy about the recognition. “I think it impacts the goal because it lets people know that somebody’s doing it,” he said.

He said it wasn’t much of a surprise when his friend acknowledged the program and their friendship. But he says Crist recognizes the hard work they’ve put into the community and that’s what’s most important.

Haynes said it’s their strategy that makes it work. “What we did was we funded agencies that provided services but funded them at a greater level so they could provide more services at a faster rate than next year,” he said.

With the help of dozens of agencies, Haynes said they’re able to help people with their budget and credit while focusing on families instead of individuals when it comes to finding jobs. 

“See, an individual, you move him to the unemployment rank but you don’t move them out of poverty. You move the family out of poverty and that’s the approach we took then, and that’s an approach we take now at the urban league with most of our programs,” he said.

It’s a method he’s hoping will carry the program to its goal in 2020.

Haynes said services are available to everyone in South St. Pete and they’re encouraging anyone who needs assistance to contact them at (727) 327-2081.