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Frenchtown Neighborhood First Plan | Health & Resident Empowerment

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This priority area addresses neighborhood environmental issues, increasing access to healthy food, health services, education and employment services, the supports needed for residents at risk of homelessness and those returning from incarceration, fostering social connections and the need to develop neighborhood leadership capacity.

Goal:Empower residents with the tools they need to live a healthier lifestyle and improve their access to resources that promote their financial, educational, employment, and emotional wellbeing. 

Outcome:Residents of Frenchtown have access to resources and are knowledgeable about ways  that can enhance their overall quality of life.

 

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 1:
Access to Healthy Food

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Outcome: Frenchtown residents have easy access to fresh, healthy, affordable food.

Strategy H&RE 1.1: Promote and enhance programs and resources that facilitate residents gaining easy access to fresh, healthy, affordable food.

Health and Resident Empowerment

Action Item H&RE 1.1.1: Use existing or new community gardens to offer gardening education and nutrition programs.

Potential Partners: Tallahassee Food Network, Florida Department of Agriculture, FAMU Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Office, Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Housing and Community Resilience; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Tallahassee Green Faith Alliance

Action Item H&RE 1.1.2: Enhance and develop the space at the iGrow Farm on Dent Street in order to build capacity to sell produce and offer more programming.

Potential Partners: Tallahassee Food Network, Florida Department of Agriculture, FAMU Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Office, Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (CRA; Housing and Community Resilience), Tallahassee Green Faith Alliance

Action Item H&RE 1.1.3: Expand Frenchtown Farmers Market to provide greater access to fresh, local, seasonal, and organic produce; and connect local farmers and cottage food vendors to a low-barrier sales platform.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association

Action Item H&RE 1.1.4: Develop and offer incentives to attract fresh food markets and businesses to locate in Frenchtown.

Potential Partners: Tallahassee-Leon CountyOffice of Economic Vitality, City of Tallahassee (CRA), Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, Frenchtown Community Action Team

Action Item H&RE 1.1.5: Collaborate with the Tallahassee Food Network and Frenchtown Heritage Hub to promote the City’s community gardening program to Frenchtown residents.

Potential Partners: Tallahassee Food Network, Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 1.1.6: Work with community members to establish and support food pantries, feeding programs, and pop-up food distributions, including mobile produce trucks.

Potential Partners: Tallahassee Food Network (Hucksters Mobile Market), Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Tallahassee Urban League, Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, Project Annie, Inc., Frenchtown Community Action Team

Action Item H&RE 1.1.7: Develop and implement a culinary training program at the Frenchtown Heritage Hub.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, Lively Technical College, Keiser University, Kitchenable, Publix Aprons, Frenchtown Community Action Team

 

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 2:
Environmental Issues Affecting Frenchtown

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Outcome: Frenchtown is a neighborhood with clean air, and water and safe infrastructure. 

Strategy H&RE 2.1: Conduct an environmental health assessment.

Health and Resident Empowerment 2

Action Item H&RE 2.1.1: In collaboration with local public health entities, use the Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health (PACE EH) to conduct an environmental health assessment of the Frenchtown neighborhood. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Tallahassee Food Network, Rethink Energy, Leon County Health Department, Green Faith Alliance, City of Tallahassee (Housing and Community Resilience), Neighborhood Medical Center, Bond Community Health Center

Action Item H&RE 2.1.2: Share findings of the assessment with residents, the County and City, and develop a plan of action to address findings.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Tallahassee Food Network, Leon County Health Department, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 3:
Access to Healthcare and Wellness Activities.

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Outcome: Frenchtown residents can easily access healthcare services and other wellness activities.   

Strategy H&RE 3.1: Connect residents to existing health and wellness services, including, where possible, offering those services in the community.

Health and Resident Empowerment 3

Action Item H&RE 3.1.1: Develop and implement a neighborhood ambassador program to provide trained neighborhood residents to serve as liaisons between residents and healthcare providers to help residents receive/access the healthcare benefits that are available to them.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), 2-1-1 Big Bend, Tallahassee Housing Authority, Kids Incorporated, Chambers of Commerce, Early Learning Coalition, TMH, Care Pointe, other health providers

Action Item H&RE 3.1.2: Develop a database of the healthcare and wellness services providers that are in the neighborhood and surrounding areas and share the database with Frenchtown residents.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), 2-1-1 Big Bend

Action Item H&RE 3.1.3: Work with existing healthcare and wellness services providers to expand current services and wellness activities within the neighborhood.  

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Care Point Health & Wellness, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Neighborhood Medical Center

Action Item H&RE 3.1.4: Partner with Neighborhood Medical Center at the Lincoln Center to promote and connect residents to the services that it offers.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Neighborhood Medical Center

Action Item H&RE 3.1.5:  Partner with local healthcare providers to promote the use of telehealth by Frenchtown residents.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Care Pointe, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Neighborhood Medical Center

Action Item H&RE 3.1.6: Promote 2-1-1 Big Bend as a clearinghouse of available healthcare and wellness resources.

Potential Partners: 2-1-1 Big Bend, Frenchtown Community Action Team 

Action Item H&RE 3.1.7: Create additional recreation/wellness facilities and resources and enhance existing facilities and resources.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Leon County Health Department, recreation/wellness providers

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 4:
Social connections and opportunities for intergenerational interactions.

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Outcome: Residents have ample opportunities to connect and engage with each other.

H&RE Strategy 4.1: : Develop and promote neighborhood activities and programs that offer opportunities for residents to connect with one another.

Health and Resident Empowerment 4

Action Item H&RE 4.1.1: Host workdays for neighborhood residents at the community gardens.

Potential Partners: Tallahassee Food Network, Frenchtown Community Action Team, Florida Department of Agriculture, FAMU Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Office

Action Item H&RE 4.1.2: Organize and host recurring and creative community gatherings and events (i.e., potlucks, movie nights, community cookouts, neighborhood cleanups, etc.).

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 4.1.3: Host large community events in Frenchtown (i.e., block parties, Longest Table, Get-Downs centered around FAMU football games). Partner with local businesses to sponsor.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (CRA, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), local businesses

Action Item H&RE 4.1.4: Lobby FAMU to bring its Homecoming parade back to Frenchtown to reconnect the university to the neighborhood.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Frenchtown businesses, FAMU

Action Item H&RE 4.1.5: Develop a database with contact information for neighborhood residents who will help to host and promote events within the neighborhood. Develop and maintain social media pages for the neighborhood.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team

Action Item H&RE 4.1.6: Develop and implement programs that connect youth with seniors (Adopt-a-Grand Friend). Establish a youth volunteer program that provides assistance to neighborhood seniors.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Leon County School Board, Lively Technical College

Action Item H&RE 4.1.7: Develop and implement a neighborhood skill share program.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Leon County School Board, Lively Technical College, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 4.1.8: Continue to offer and support Art Walk Events.

Potential Partners: Carolina Oaks Homeowners Association COCA, Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (CRA; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 4.1.9: Set up listening booths in the community to document stories. Develop a story-telling project to turn neighborhood stories into plays that are presented in the community.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, COCA, City of Tallahassee (CRA; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs; Planning), Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, FAMU, FSU, Black Archives

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 5:
Access to Educational, Vocational and Employment Opportunities for Adults and Youth.

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Outcome: Frenchtown residents are knowledgeable of available training and employment opportunities and have access to these services.   

H&RE Strategy 5.1: Promote and enhance programs and trainings for youth and adults to gain access to educational, vocational and employment opportunities.

Action Item H&RE 5.1.1: Promote and advertise existing vocational and job training programs and resources through marketing and events in Frenchtown that target disconnected youth.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (TEMPO), Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, Tallahassee Urban League, A New Directions Program, Inc., CareerSource

Action Item H&RE 5.1.2: Develop and implement a neighborhood-based reading and STEAM mentoring program for youth.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Leon County School Board, Leon County Public Library

Action Item H&RE 5.1.3: Use the Lincoln Center as a resource for computer and technology training. Explore the possibility of using the old SAIL School as site for programming and training classes.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (CRA; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Leon County School Board, training providers

Action Item H&RE 5.1.4: Identify and assess existing early childhood programming/resources in the neighborhood to determine need/gaps.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Leon County School Board

Action Item H&RE 5.1.5: Work with partners to increase early childhood programming/services available in the neighborhood.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Leon County School Board, Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend

Action Item H&RE 5.1.6: Organize and support a Frenchtown youth advisory group.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), youth leadership training providers

Action Item H&RE 5.1.7: Increase summer and afterschool programming and mentoring opportunities for youth in the neighborhood.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Community Services; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 5.1.8: Create opportunities for youth to receive arts and music education in the neighborhood.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), COCA, LeMoyne Arts

Action Item H&RE 5.1.9: Host neighborhood events that showcase the skills and talents of neighborhood youth.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), COCA, Carolina Oaks Homeowners Association

Action Item H&RE 5.1.10: Partner with area schools and universities to host events targeted to youth that highlight educational/vocational training and career opportunities.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Community Services; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Leon County School Board, FSU, FAMU, TCC, Lively Technical College, Career Source

Action Item H&RE 5.1.11: Provide resume writing, interview preparation and job coaching assistance in the neighborhood on a regular basis.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (Community Services; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs),Career Source

Action Item H&RE 5.1.12: Host job fairs and employment support services at locations within Frenchtown; link residents to employment services outside of the neighborhood.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (Community Services; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs),Career Source

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 6:
The challenges residents who have been incarcerated face.

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Outcome: Formerly incarcerated Frenchtown residents are knowledgeable of how access supportive services that assist in connecting them to housing and employment.

H&RE Strategy 6.1:Connect formerly incarcerated residents with the services and resources needed to make their reentry successful.

Health and Resident Empowerment 5

Action Item H&RE 6.1.1: Identify and connect formerly incarcerated residents to resources that assist people with housing and employment opportunities. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Tallahassee Urban League, Big Bend Re-Entry Coalition, HELP Inc., City of Tallahassee (Community Services), A New Directions Inc.

Action Item H&RE 6.1.2: Establish partnerships with agencies to assist previously incarcerated people with employment opportunities. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Career Source, Big Bend Re-Entry Coalition, HELP, City of Tallahassee (Community Services)

Action Item H&RE 6.1.3: Advocate for an Office on Returning Citizens in the Mayor's Office.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Big Bend AFTER Re-Entry Coalition, Legal Services of North Florida

Action Item H&RE 6.1.1: Identify and connect formerly incarcerated residents to resources that assist people with housing and employment opportunities. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Tallahassee Urban League, Big Bend Re-Entry Coalition, HELP Inc., City of Tallahassee (Community Services), A New Directions Inc.

Action Item H&RE 6.1.2: Establish partnerships with agencies to assist previously incarcerated people with employment opportunities. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Career Source, Big Bend Re-Entry Coalition, HELP, City of Tallahassee (Community Services)

Action Item H&RE 6.1.3: Advocate for an Office on Returning Citizens in the Mayor's Office.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Big Bend AFTER Re-Entry Coalition, Legal Services of North Florida

 

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 7:
Availability of Supportive Services to Prevent Homelessness.

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Health and Resident Empowerment 6

Outcome: Frenchtown residents have secure housing and access to resources to assist when challenges arise. 

H&RE Strategy 7.1: Connect unsheltered residents to services and resources that assist with housing issues.

Action Item H&RE 7.1.1: Develop a resource referral list to provide to those in the community who are homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Big Bend Continuum of Care, Big Bend Homeless Coalition, The Kearney Center, Tallahassee Housing Authority, City of Tallahassee (Housing and Community Resilience)

 

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN 8:
Empowerment of Neighborhood Residents and Groups to Advocate for the Neighborhood More Effectively.

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Outcome: Residents are organized and have easy access to the training and support they need to advocate for the neighborhood. 

H&RE Strategy 8.1:  Establish a broad-based neighborhood organization to lead and oversee implementation of the neighborhood plan and serve as the neighborhood association.

Health and Resident Empowerment 7

Action Item H&RE 8.1.1: Support the transition of the Frenchtown Community Action Team (CAT) into creating/leading a broad-based neighborhood organization. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 8.1.2: Develop an organization structure and by-laws for the broad-based neighborhood organization referenced in Action Item H&RE 8.1.1.

Potential PartnersFrenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 8.1.3: Create a community outreach team for neighborhood engagement, information sharing and volunteer recruitment. Develop annual goals for the team.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 8.1.4: Develop a meeting schedule and communications plan for the neighborhood organization. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team

Strategy H&RE 8.2: Provide developmental opportunities/training for residents to become advocates for their neighborhood. 

Action Item H&RE 8.2.1: Offer training for residents to develop leadership skills and understand how to get involved in the civic life of their community. 

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Florida People’s Advocacy Center

Action Item H&RE 8.2.2: Host voter registration events and candidate forums in the neighborhood.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, Leon County Supervisor of Elections, Tallahassee League of Women Voters, NAACP, Florida People’s Advocacy Center

Action Item H&RE 8.2.3: Attend and represent the neighborhood at city and county commission and school board meetings. 
Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team

Action Item H&RE 8.2.4: Establish a youth empowerment program that promotes leadership and civic engagement opportunities.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (Community Services; Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs), Florida People’s Advocacy Center, youth leadership providers

H&RE Strategy 8.3: Connect residents with their local elected officials.

Action Item H&RE 8.3.1: Provide opportunities for elected officials to engage with residents at community events.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team,City of Tallahassee (Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)

Action Item H&RE 8.3.2: Request that the City host its commission meetings in Frenchtown on a regular basis.

Potential Partners: Frenchtown Community Action Team, City of Tallahassee Commission, Leon County Commission