Are you looking for temporary shelter or a hot meal? What about help filling out a FEMA application? If you are in the Tampa Bay area and were affected by Hurricane Helene, there are several organizations offering assistance.
Whether you’ve been flooded out of your home, gone without power for days on end, or had trees fall on your property, so many Tampa Bay area residents are still in post-hurricane recovery mode.
While situations and needs vary, there are plenty of entities offering help. Here are a few:
FEMA can help homeowners and renters with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss, or other needs caused by Hurricane Helene. Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, using the FEMA app, or by phone at (800) 621-FEMA (3362).
Pinellas County is supporting points of distribution (PODs) where barrier island residents affected by Hurricane Helene can receive free food, water, and tarps while they last. Click HERE for more information.
Feeding Tampa Bay is offering food pantries and food distribution events in Pinellas County for residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. Find food and resources.
Boricuas de Corazón Inc. and Hispanic Federation Florida & Southeast are providing hot meals in the Tampa area and helping people fill out FEMA applications in both English and Spanish. Visit Boricua de Corazón’s Facebook page to find exact locations, which vary by day.
Disaster Response Ministries International has established 27 emergency distributions across seven counties, including Pinellas, Manatee, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties, and we will continue to provide new locations daily for support. Check their Facebook page or website for updates and locations.
Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa opened six comfort stations to help residents affected by Hurricane Helene. Two comfort stations are in the City of Tampa and four other locations are in Town ‘N Country, Apollo Beach, and Ruskin. The comfort stations offer showers, restrooms, ice, washers and dryers for laundry, and charging stations for phones, laptops, and other communications devices. Hot food or boxed meals will be available at lunch and dinner times. Visit the County’s site for locations and hours.
The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program provides short-term, zero-interest working capital loans that are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term recovery funding such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims, or other resources. Businesses across Hillsborough County that were impacted by Hurricane Helene can now apply to the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. To apply, click HERE.
American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter offers emergency shelter, food, and disaster relief. Click HERE or call (813) 348-4820 for more information.
FEMA’s Pinellas County Disaster Recovery Center is located at Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Drive, Largo, to assist residents affected by Hurricane Helene with application assistance, translation and accessibility services, and access to disaster-related resources. Click HERE for more information.
FEMA’s Hillsborough County Disaster Recovery Center is located at Hillsborough Community College (HCC) at The Regent, 6437 Watson Rd., Riverview. Representatives from FEMA, the Florida Small Business Administration (SBA), and stakeholders will be present to assist residents who want to file a FEMA application or fill out insurance claims. Click HERE for more information.
Metropolitan Ministries collaborates with 65 neighborhood partners to serve families in need throughout Tampa Bay. If you need access to food, shelter, financial assistance, or more, call (813) 209-1000 or click HERE.
Florida Commerce is awarding financial assistance to state residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene. Submit a Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) at FloridaJobs.org.
