This is the third year for the program, which sees residents from the Safe Harbor program in the unincorporated High Point area help clean up 11 locations.

HIGH POINT – More than 100 residents from Safe Harbor took part in today’s (Feb. 27) third annual “Take a Bite Out of Grime” campaign that saw the collection of more than 14,000 pounds of trash and litter.

Pinellas Safe Harbor, deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office coordinated the event, which ran from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event saw 105 Safe Harbor residents and other volunteers traveling to 11 locations in the unincorporated High Point area to pick up litter. The Safe Harbor clients who took part had a chance to earn community service hours.

Pinellas Safe Harbor is an emergency homeless shelter and a jail diversion program created by the Pinellas sheriff with the goal of being a safe haven for those currently homeless and who require services to get back on their feet.

The shelter, 14840 49th St. N, in the unincorporated High Point area, was founded in 2011 as a jail diversion program that Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said would be a cost effective alternative to jailing the homeless. Up to 470 can be housed in the program, but the population averages 400, according to officials figures. Men and women share common facilities during the day but will be housed in separate housing units at night. Pinellas Safe Harbor operates a 1.6 million dollar budget provided by the Sheriff’s Office, which is offset by municipal and community contributions.

For information about Safe Harbor and the programs it offers, go to safeharborpinellas.org.

Photographs of Take a Bite Out of Grime courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff.

Pinellas Sheriff | Safe Harbor | High Point | Homeless | TB Reporter

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