Are the folks in your neighborhood filling their recycling bins with items that will actually taint the recycling stream? Is your HOA looking for a meeting place? Do people in your community struggle to get health insurance?
The Hillsborough Neighborhood Expo can help with all these questions. On August 19, various county departments will disseminate information in regards to neighborhood programs.
And it’s free and it’s virtual.
What is the Hillsborough Neighborhood Expo?
The Expo offers residents an opportunity to virtually meet with Hillsborough County staff to learn more about County departments. Citizens can also ask questions about their government through informational sessions and virtual exhibit booths. The one-hour sessions are scheduled for 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. Two informational sessions will be held during each hour and include:
- Granting Opportunities
- Urban Legends – Truth or Consequences
- Coyotes, Cats, Dogs, and Alligators … Oh My!
- What Can Your County Do for You?
“This will be our 18th year and we have right now, close to 300 participants signed up,” said Stephanie Agliano. She’s Division Director of Customer Engagement and Support. “This year is double or triple last year’s attendance,” likely due to a big push in signs, emails, and social media presence.
“What we want is for everybody to get to know their county,” Agliano said. “The county does provide a lot of programs and services even for people who live in the city, such as health insurance. What we try to do is to say we want you to come and learn about your county, whether grant opportunities or other services or programs. It helps creates a sense of community and healthy and engaged neighborhoods.”
People like to share what they learn during the expo, she said. “We try to put a good variety of sessions together that not only highlight the agencies they use a lot, but we also know there are issues that may crop up. Animals can be an issue, not only domestic but wildlife. We really want to put something together they can relate to.”
When participants complete the expo, they can carry information to their neighbors. “You may not need a service but may know somebody that needs the information you learned about,” Algiano said.
Health, Safe, and Engaged
The expo theme is Healthy, Safe, and Engaged Neighborhoods. One of the sessions is on what Hillsborough County can do for neighborhoods.
“Neighborhood associations may not know this, but they can hold meetings at public libraries,” Agliano said. “From local parks, we’ve got fabulous facilities, pet resources and how their programs can help with adopting and how can we help people keep their pets. Health services, we’ve got some great programs people might be interested in from aging services for elderly people to help for health issues from mental to what you eat, to being in that great frame of mine.”
The virtual expo is set up so participants can click from one session to another and view virtual exhibits. They can ask questions of county staff and interact with other participants.
“If you feel like you have heard enough on one session, you can click in on other session or visit the exhibit hall,” Agliano said.
Numerous county departments will participate in the virtual exhibit booths, including:
- Code Enforcement
- Pet Resource Center
- Aging Services
- Extension Services
- Solid Waste
- Library Services
- Water Resources
- Consumer & Veterans Services
- Public Works
Expo participants can visit the booths to ask questions and get additional information about County services and programs.
The Collaboration Lab
The Collaboration Lab is new this year. Here participants can hang out together with county staff, ask questions and seek out additional information. It is a free form setting.
The grant session will include information on how to obtain money and opportunities that already exist to better neighborhoods.
The Truth and Consequences segment teaches the truth and consequences of laws and regulations that impact residents.
And the What Can Your County Do for You session teaches about key departments that can help neighborhoods. Click here to register and receive information on how to access the Neighborhood Expo.
The 2023 virtual Neighborhoods Expo takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19.
