St. Pete honors ‘Hometown Haulers’ following state Innovation Award
- Toni Gallardo
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
A first-of-its-kind recovery initiative that turned disaster into opportunity by funneling $1.6 million directly into the hands of local small businesses and residents continues receiving state and local acclaim.
On Thursday, St. Petersburg officials recognized several of the over 100 people who made the Hometown Haulers program a resounding success following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The city also recently received the 2026 Governor’s Hurricane Innovation Award for embracing the community-led initiative.
The grassroots program not only accelerated the city’s physical cleanup - impromptu crews hauled 5,382 truckloads of debris - but also served as an economic engine for many of those affected by the 2024 hurricane season. Nancy Dunham, one of multiple community leaders who helped launch the initiative, said the resulting income likely saved at least one life.
Dunham, founder of Fancy Nancy Professional Services, explained that “one of the Hometown Haulers came up to me and told me that before the program was created, they were literally 30 minutes from taking their life.” The participant, then behind on rent, was able to earn enough money to “still be that man of the household.”
“So, I just want you to know that you guys literally saved a life,” Dunhaman told city officials. “At that moment, they had a sense of pride - they had a sense of belonging.”
Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders presented Dunham and several other stakeholders with Distinguished Citizen Awards. She noted that Dunham reached out to Gypsy Gallardo, CEO of Urban Market Analytics and publisher of Power Broker Magazine, to highlight several small-business owners with trucks who wanted to give back to the community.
At the time, Helene had just devastated St. Petersburg, and Milton, then a Category 5 storm, was barreling toward the area. Figgs-Sanders said she, Dunham, Gallardo, Dr. Kanika Tomalin, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, Nikki Gaskin-Capehart, CEO of the Pinellas County Urban League, and Carl Lavendar, then the city’s chief equity officer, began discussing how the community could help clear debris.
“This is our Dunkirk moment,” said Gallardo, referencing civilian efforts to rescue stranded Allied troops from the French seaport during World War II. “Carl (Lavendar) and I pushed for the mayor to abandon formal requirements and get trucks out on the streets ASAP.”
Mayor Ken Welch was unsure if the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would reimburse the city for the Hometown Haulers program. However, he felt that quickly launching the initiative was the “right thing to do.”
The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg immediately provided $100,000 in seed funding, which helped assuage some initial concerns. Participants earned $300 per load.
Tomalin said the foundation was “very privileged and honored” to support the Hometown Haulers. She believes the program highlights the “power of philanthropy, the importance of public-private partnerships, and the strength of community when we come together around a shared aspiration and the common goal to care for one another.”
“We look forward to working with our community, not only in times of crisis, but also in times of strength,” Tomalin added. “So that we can continue to build a stronger, brighter, more equitable community that makes all of us who call this beautiful city proud.”
Amber Boulding, emergency management manager for St. Petersburg, said the state’s Innovation Award recognizes new and creative approaches to hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery. She credited the city’s Economic Development department for turning an idea into a functioning government program.
Boulding said stakeholders ensured the initiative met federal guidelines. Those efforts have paid off, as the city “anticipates full reimbursement as the review process continues.”
After the meeting, Gaskin-Capehart expressed excitement for the ongoing interest in the Hometown Haulers program. She also noted that several community leaders were already collaborating on hurricane preparedness and response plans.
Gaskin-Capehart said the Next Level Urban Alliance, the Urban League’s entrepreneurial network, helped haulers obtain business licences and provided other administrative services. Dunham continues to partner with the organization.
The state and local recognition “speaks to the importance of doing something that’s a little more innovative and not the normal cookie-cutter response” from governments, Gaskin-Capehart said. She credited the community’s “multiplier effect” for hastening debris removal collection while supporting local entrepreneurs who needed the work.
“Many times it takes our community lens to have a longstanding impact,” Gaskin-Capehart said. “Sometimes there’s just as much capacity in the community to get things done as there is with the municipalities.”
On Thursday, Councilmember Copley Gerdes, who helped secure a temporary debris collection site, said the Hometown Haulers program is now a model for other cities. Councilmember Gina Driscoll expressed gratitude for Figgs-Sanders’ efforts and is “so glad that our city and everyone involved has been recognized for their innovation in a time of crisis.”
“It’s not that often that leadership at the state level actually likes what we’re doing in St. Petersburg,” Dricoll said. “So, this really means a lot.”
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