Love Your Block kicks off with Whispering Pines skate party and grants
Published on February 10, 2025
A new program will provide residents of the Whispering Pines neighborhood with mini-grants that can create large-scale impacts, and the City is launching this initiative at a special Valentine's Day Neighborhood Skate Party.
Love Your Block is a program established in partnership with the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, bringing City leaders and residents together to revitalize neighborhoods one block at a time. In May 2024, the City announced it received $100,000 in funding for the Love Your Block program, one of 16 cities selected from across the country that year.
The program supports projects that make a difference through improvement such as combatting litter, beautifying the community, activating vacant lots and strengthening neighborhood pride. Eligible applicants can apply for mini-grants of up to $1,500 for projects like creating community gardens, creating shaded areas, landscaping, performing minor repairs or painting.
The Love Your Block launch and application opening will feature a kickoff event at Skate City in the Whispering Pines neighborhood, 800 SW Darwin Blvd. in Port St. Lucie. Join us from 4-7 p.m. to celebrate Valentine’s Day, participate in some fun family activities, music, giveaways, free hot cocoa and cookies (refreshments to be provided by the Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County). There will also be information available about the Love Your Block program. Don’t forget to bring roller or in-line skates to take advantage of the newly refurbished skating area.
“The City of Port St. Lucie is honored to be one of 16 cities selected to bring this innovative program to the Whispering Pines neighborhood,” said Mayor Shannon Martin. “Through support from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins, the City is able to offer resources to empower residents to bring positive change to their neighborhoods while the City team learns new techniques to better support them in ways that can replicated in other neighborhoods.”
Applications to open February 14, 2025
Applications for the Love Your Block grants will open Friday, February 14, 2025. Application packages must be submitted electronically through the online application form at CityofPSL.com/LoveYourBlock by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2025. For assistance in submitting a digital application, email LoveYourBlock@cityofpsl.com to request an appointment.
Information session available
The City is hosting an information session for residents to learn about eligibility criteria, grant requirements, and more. This virtual session is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 6 p.m. It will be recorded and made available on the website. No registration is required to attend virtually.
Attend the virtual session
More information, including a timeline, frequently asked questions and more, can be found at CityofPSL.com/LoveYourBlock.
Learn More about the Love Your Block Program
Download Flyer(PDF, 1MB)
