The N-Team (or Neighborhood Team) is an innovation that is as much a way of thinking as it is a program. It was started to change the way the City did business with regard to helping residents and restoring neighborhoods. The N-Team has completed more than 3000 projects, and served more than 2500 families, has touched every neighborhood in the City, created hundreds of volunteers, and given inmates of the local correctional center a way to give back to the community and possibly earn jobs. While accomplishing this, the program has changed the way departments in the City define service.
The program addresses three primary issues: training inmates and reducing recidivism, dealing with a deteriorating housing stock; and helping low income and elderly homeowners bring their properties up to minimum code. The primary work has focused on the repair of homes of low income elderly, disabled, and single parents that do not meet minimum property codes. The N-Team responds to emergency repairs, neighborhood cleanups, utility and police emergencies, nonprofit organizations, and frequently operates as a construction crew on call. It is a low-cost method of restoring homes and neighborhoods that are deteriorating. It also restores the self-esteem of the inmates, who are the foundation of the N-Team.
The work is completed by inmates who volunteer from the St. Petersburg Community Correctional Center, along with four city employees assigned to the N-Team, and by volunteers from the community who participate in monthly Saturday paint days. The inmates do not get gain time, pay, or credits. However, they receive supervised construction training, work experience, lunch, and frequently a job reference. The inmates also get the opportunity to contribute something back to the community. The program also has served to reduce recidivism among the participating inmates. Of 145 inmates that have been released after participating in this program for 6 months or more, only 6 have returned to prison.
The monthly work day (N-Team Paint Day) attracts hundreds of volunteers of all races, incomes, and neighborhoods from throughout the community. Monthly Paint Days are an especially successful component of the program where corporate, community, and city employees volunteer to help paint houses prepared by the N-Team.
Program Process
The primary target population is low income elderly, single parents, or disabled homeowners. Participants are physically and financially unable to repair and improve their homes. The majority of participants are identified by code investigators. No one wants to cite a homeowner that cannot bring the property into compliance due to age, income or disability. The codes investigator cites these properties, then refers the homeowner to the N-Team for assistance. There is no cost to the homeowner.
The Citys Utility Accounts Department also refers needy homeowners cases to the N-Team for assistance with water usage that have considerably increased from historical usage. This generally indicates a leak in their water system. Many of the repairs have been minor (i.e., the replacement of a gasket in the plumbing). This assistance has resulted in water savings for the City and cost savings for those homeowners who may not have the means to pay.
The program has proven itself and grown rapidly in popularity. Referrals also now come from a wide variety of sources: community police officers, postal workers, community leaders, neighborhood associations, firemen, friends of people who have been helped, and ministers. The N-Team is supported by fines collected from code violations, contributed paint, community volunteers, recycled materials from city demolitions, and a portion of the budgets in the Mayors Office and Sanitation. Contractors have donated time and materials for roofs, plumbing and electrical. The N-Team provides the volunteer hours.
Program Volunteers
Volunteers from throughout the community have responded to the program. Corporations, community agencies, neighborhood associations and many of our own City departments have participated over the past several years. Some of our volunteers include:
Organizations
Pinellas Community Church
Salvation Army
Girl Scouts
Bayfront Medical Center
Pinellas County Appraisers Office
Team Effort
Crime Watch
Project Independence
YouthBuild
Elite Social Club
Volunteer Action Center
Mustard Seed
Just Say No Club
Great Explorations
NationsBank
St. Petersburg Housing Authority
Harambee Black Student Union
Catholic Charities
St. Petersburg Legal Secretaries
AmSouth Bank
Juvenile Justice
State Farm Insurance
James B. Sanderlin Center
Pinellas Cares
Night Riders Van Club
16th Street Middle School
Project New Hope
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA)
Seminole Park Rotary
First Presbyterian Church
CIGNA Property & Casualty
AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps Pinellas
Eckerd College
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps NUCOPS
Mount Zion Progressive Baptist
New Life Outreach Center
House of Prayer
St. Pete Light House Christian
Lakewood Methodist
Northside Baptist
Wings Fellowship
Word of Life Ministry
Neighborhood Associations
Bartlett Park
Historic Kenwood
Campbell Park
Lake Maggiore Shores
Childs Park
Mirror Lake
Woodlawn Oaks
Palmetto Park
Fossil Park
13th Street Heights
Greater Pinellas Point
Harbordale
Uptown Neighborhoods
Wildwood Heights
United Central
North Kenwood
Crescent Lake
Edgemoor
Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA)
Federation of Inner-City Community Organizations (FICO)
City Departments
City Council
Mayors Office
Police
Economic Development
Parks
Fire
Employee Relations
Codes Compliance
Legal
Public Works
Leisure Services
Sanitation
Housing and Neighborhood Improvement
Neighborhood Partnership
City Teen Groups
1000+ VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY
Accomplishments
More than 2700 homes in the City have been improved at no cost to the homeowners.
1994 - 116
1997 - 226
1995 - 235
1998 - 196
1996 - 162
1999 - 195
2000 - 267
2001 - 241
2002 - 390
2003 - 278
2004 - 250
Works crews are comprised of community volunteers, work release inmates and community service youth and adults. More than 400 inmates, 500 youth and adults are required to do community service, 1000 + volunteers and 75 - 100 organizations have participated. Nearly every City department has participated in a Saturday Paint Day.
Services provided by the N-Team include: minor roof repairs, soffits, truss tails, screen doors and windows, gutters, concrete steps and walks, toilets, faucets, hose bibs, shed and garages, shingle siding, correction of indoor outside plumbing leaks, alley repair and general cleanups.
Homeowners have received hot water heaters, refrigerators, ceiling fans, air conditioners and provided tarps for leaking roofs until the repairs could be made.
Many materials are recycled from demolition sites and donations.
Of the 138 inmates released (out of 400 who have participated) only 6 work release inmates have returned to jail.
N-Team experience provides training and hands-on experience which has resulted in job references leading to jobs.
The work release inmates volunteer to participate in the program. They do not receive gain time, pay or reduced sentences.
Referrals come from a variety of sources: codes investigators, housing and neighborhood improvement staff, sanitation staff, police officers, firemen, ministers and neighborhood association representatives.
Paint is generally provided through donations.
For more information, please contact Vel Thompson at (727) 551-3150 or by e-mail at vithomps@stpete.org.
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