ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — In her Ferguson home, Shavanna Spratt speaks to the community through her podcast called "Da Hood Talks".
She amplifies her voice so others can do the same.
"We are here to uplift community voices, we are here to support the community, educate and empower the community," she said.
The latest segments are focusing on the funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, better known as ARPA.
St. Louis County has received $193 million.
Of that, $108 million has been appropriated, which means funds are committed to projects but are not necessarily spent yet.
This leaves $85 million up for grabs.
Now, the county has a survey and multiple town halls to get feedback from the community on ways to spend the remaining amount.
Spratt wants her community to step in and speak up.
"They need to hear what we need to be done with that money," Spratt said.
The St. Louis County Department of Public Health is also putting in its two cents.
County Executive Sam Page says the health department is working with the county council to secure $2 million of ARPA funds to improve care for individuals with chronic conditions.
"There are no conclusive reasons why people get long COVID. We do know that many of these cases occur in people with underlying health conditions. These funds will allow us to hire nurses and other care providers to improve patients outcomes and expand public health and mental health services, especially in north county," Page said.
The health department operates in three primary care clinics, two in north county and one in south county.
These facilities serve thousands of people, many with these conditions. Some patients have put off their regular care during the pandemic and now, many are navigating new chronic illnesses as a result of COVID-19.
This is an effort Spratt believes is necessary.
"We know north county has been under-served for years," she said.
There are only so many town halls left and the survey will wrap up on March 25.
That's why Spratt wants folks to speak up now, so they can impact the future
"Go fill out the ARPA survey and get your voices heard," Spratt said.
Funds must be obligated by the end of 2024 and fully executed by the end of 2026.
How to get involved
Nearly one million people live in St. Louis County and as of Thursday morning, 1,938 people have filled out the survey to share their input.
The survey launched on Feb. 25 and will close on March 25.
St. Louis County shared this breakdown of survey responses by district, based on zip code response:
- District 1: 191
- District 2: 182
- District 3: 347
- District 4: 227
- District 5: 254
- District 6: 128
- District 7: 193
This breakdown data is as of March 11. Respondents are not required to provide their zip code.
If you'd like to fill out the survey, click here.
As for town hall dates, here's a list of an in-person schedule:
- Saturday, March 19 from 10a.m – noon at Indian Trails Library Branch
- Monday, March 21 from 6-8p.m. virtual meeting. Register here
- Wednesday, March 23 from 6-8p.m. at Thornhill Library Branch
For the next virtual town hall:
- Monday, March 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. - click here to sign up
If you'd like to learn more about ARPA funds, Spratt's next podcast episode will be on Thursday, March 24.
To see a previous podcast episode, click here.