Of the 125 tents at Tampa Hope, 71 were significantly damaged or destroyed by the elements.  

“When the storm hit, I woke up with water in my face– my tent was flooding,” shared Richard Coit, a client at Tampa Hope. “I went into [the administrative] building and the staff let me stay inside. I’m really thankful they were there for me, and the maintenance was able to fix my tent. I’m just grateful to have a place like Tampa Hope.”

Half of the tents were replaced immediately with inventory that was on-hand, and the remaining tents were purchased. Catholic Charities plans for events such as these; however, it is still a drain on their resources and was a $5,000 expense.  

Thanks to social media and other publicity, they were blessed to receive contributions from many donors, receiving approximately $8,000 to cover the cost. Exceeding their expectations, the additional amount provided added funds to assist them as we enter hurricane season.

“The recent storm that swept through Tampa Hope caught us by surprise, but it served as a powerful reminder of how critical it is to be prepared for hurricane season,” said Eric Marrero, Shelter Director at Tampa Hope. 

“Thanks to the quick response of our dedicated staff and residents, we were able to get things back up and running swiftly. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who donated– your support helped us recover from this storm and is helping us prepare for whatever may come next.”

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Saint Petersburg is funded in part by the Catholic Ministry Appeal. For more information about the Catholic Ministry Appeal or to make a contribution, visit www.dosp.org/catholicministryappeal.