BRANDON - A cool crisp breeze swept through the morning grounds of the New Hope Methodist Church as individuals stood in line wearing sweatshirts, jeans and other warm attire as they waited to receive assistance.
Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Tampa Police Department officers joined together, along with 75 volunteers and more than 20 vendors during the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Homeless Initiative outreach event on Tuesday (Dec. 12).
"This event brought community members from various organizations together with a purpose for individuals to get services all in one location," HCSO Dep. Stephanie Krager said. "We selected different areas in the county to spread it out."
A variety of providers, from Metro Wellness and Community Centers to The Salvation Army to CareerSource Tampa Bay offered services to many. For instance, Metro Wellness and Community Centers offered free HIV testing.
The West Tampa Memorial American Legion Post 248 donated 14 bicycles, which were raffled off. These bicycles came with a lock as well.
In order to qualify for the raffle or any other free item such as clothes, blankets, food, toiletries and more, participants had to check-in at the registration table. They also received a passport, which needed a total of 12 signatures from any of the resources present.
More than 100 homeless individuals attended. Those who came had many reasons as to why they chose to be here.
James Peppers, 56, spoke with one of the deputies about his situation of being homeless in hopes that he could soon create a better life for himself.
"I need a solid roof over my head and a good job." Peppers said.
Said 57-year-old recipient Joe Carnes: "Anyone of these officers here can help people with homeless recovery."
CareerSource Tampa Bay Program Coordinator for the Military Family and Employment Advocacy Program Mario Rodriquez mentioned that their services deal with veterans who might encounter a barrier to employment.
"Our focus here would be for homeless veterans as we provide them links to training or employment if they already obtain the skills set," Rodriquez said.
In the final assessment, HCSO officials came away pleased with the involvement.
"Overall, I am just appreciative for all of the volunteers and vendors that came out," Deputy Krager said.
To learn more about the HCSO Homeless Initiative, visit its Facebook page.
Contact Tatiana Ortiz at hillsnews@tampabay.com.