Hurricane Helene: How to give help and get help in Tampa Bay
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A woman cleans up in St. Petersburg after Hurricane Helene. Photo: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images
With every passing hour since Hurricane Helene swiped Tampa Bay, a stark reality sharpens:
- We're at the beginning of a long road to recovery.
State of play: Governments, organizations and industrious neighbors are working to provide immediate relief to storm survivors, while federal emergency officials and local nonprofits are setting up for longer-term aid.
- And for those who want to help, some local and state groups are collecting donations and assembling volunteers.
Here are some ways to help and get help. Please send resources or opportunities not listed here to [email protected].
Give help
Drop off essentials including non-perishable food, pet food, cleaning supplies and hygiene items at:
- St. Pete: 3 Daughters Brewing. That effort comes through a partnership between the brewery, Friends of Strays and Loving St. Pete.
- Gulfport: Gulfport Senior Center, via the Gulfport Merchants Chamber.
- Hudson: Hudson High, Hudson Academy or Hudson Primary Academy. Times and more details here.
Donate cleaning supplies and yard-work tools at 11 locations in central Pinellas County, including Jenergy Air Services, Plumbing by Paul and both locations of Southie Coffee.
- See the full list here.
Donate cleaning supplies and safety gear at these locations of home-building nonprofit Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside:
- Pinellas Administrative Headquarters : 14010 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 704, Clearwater
- Pasco County office: 7237 Little Road, New Port Richey
- Hernando County office/Hernando County Chamber of Commerce: 15588 Aviation Loop Drive, Brooksville
Donate money or items from an Amazon wishlist to Indian Rocks Beach Trash Tribe, a conservation nonprofit supporting the barrier islands.
- Fans, shovels, dehumidifiers and cleaning supplies are the biggest needs, the group posted Sunday night on Facebook.
Volunteer with Treasure Island - Adopt A Beach to clean debris and trash off Sunset Beach. The work is in preparation for city officials to put uncontaminated sand back on the shoreline.
- Bring your ID to Pasadena Community Church between 8 and 9:30am Monday. Buses to Sunset Beach leave at 8:30am and 10am.
- Volunteers 18 and up only. Bring work gloves, shovels, large trash bags, pickers, buckets, heavy duty rakes, water and snacks. Wear closed-toed shoes, preferably boots.
- Will repeat "each day until the job is done," the organization said on Facebook.
Register for more volunteer opportunities through the following organizations:
- Volunteer Florida
- Feeding Tampa Bay Emergency Response Volunteer Team
- Operation BBQ Relief
Donate money to these local and state organizations:
- Rebuilding Together Disaster & Readiness Recovery: Money goes toward Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, which provides home rehabilitation assistance to low- and mid-income families.
- West Pasco Title I Schools relief drive: Organized by the Pasco Education Foundation, these donations will support families with severe financial needs.
- Hudson High hurricane relief (scroll all the way down to "HHS Helene Relief Donation"): A fundraising drive organized by the Hudson High, which will host a hurricane relief event on Saturday
- Florida Disaster Fund: The state of Florida's official private fund that distributes money to service organizations and individuals
- 211 Tampa Bay Cares: Connects people to housing, food, mental health resources and more
- Feeding Tampa Bay: Distributes groceries and operates standalone market and cafe
- Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside: Builds homes for low-income families
- Metropolitan Ministries: Provides disaster relief, meals, housing, education and more
- Tampa Bay Resiliency Fund: A fund run by a coalition of nonprofits that provides disaster relief to residents
- Tampa Bay Rapid Response Fund: A fund run by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay to address emergency situations.
- United Way Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund: Goes toward United Way's disaster response, including volunteer and nonprofit coordination
- GoFundMe compiled a database of verified Hurricane Helene relief fundraisers for both individuals and businesses.
Get help
FEMA aid is now available along the Gulf Coast from Lee to Franklin counties.
- Apply online here, by phone at 1-800-621-3362 or via the FEMA app.
- FEMA can't help with damage covered by your insurance, so file a claim with your insurer first.
Food, water and tarps are available at three points of distribution on Pinellas barrier islands:
- St. Pete Beach: 4700 Gulf Bvd. Food, water and tarps
- Treasure Island: 10451 Gulf Blvd. Food, water and tarps
- Tierra Verde Fire Station: 540 Sands Point Drive. Water only
Free groceries will be available at several nonprofit-hosted sites this week:
- Feeding Tampa Bay's food distribution event calendar, with events in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk and Manatee.
- St. Pete Free Clinic's We Help Free Pantry at 863 Third Ave. N (8:30am-3pm) and Deuces Drive-Thru at 2198 15th Ave. S (2pm-6pm).
Essentials including non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, pet food and hygiene items are available at 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Pete.
Free fresh meals will be available from several Tampa restaurants at the following times and locations:
- 4-6pm Monday, 340 E Davis Blvd.
- 8-10am Tuesday, 2219 S Dale Mabry Highway
- 4-6pm Wednesday, 3644 S West Shore Blvd.
- 8-10am Thursday, 1700 W Fig Street and 340 E Davis Blvd
- 4-6pm Friday, 340 E Davis Blvd.
Comfort stations with air conditioning, showers, power and more open across region:
- St. Petersburg
- YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg wellness center locations
- Gulfport
- Pinellas County, Clearwater and Madeira Beach
- Pasco County and New Port Richey
Home rehabilitation assistance is available to low- to moderate-income homeowners affected by Helene through Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay.
- Apply for aid here.
- The nonprofit will also distribute tarps, flood buckets and relief kits on Wednesday from noon until supplies last at the Lealman Exchange in Pinellas.
A Hillsborough County disaster recovery center will open on Monday at The Regent at Hillsborough Community College in Riverview.
- Operating hours are 1pm-6pm Monday, 9am-6pm Tuesday-Sunday.
Hudson High in Pasco County will hold a hurricane relief event with free food, clothing, hygiene products and cleaning supplies.
- 11am-2pm Saturday. Details here.
Get cleanup help through Crisis Cleanup, a disaster work order platform that connects volunteers to people in need.
- Call the hotline at 844-965-1386.
Emergency hotlines remain open to answer questions from residents.
- Pinellas County Information Center: 727-464-4333, open daily from 8am-6pm until further notice
- Hillsborough County storm information line: 833-427-8676
- Pasco County residents can report their food, water, clothing and shelter needs at 727-847-4211 or online here.
Free pet supplies are available for Pinellas County residents through Pupactive, a clothing brand for dog lovers.
- Text Lara at 727-492-7238
Mental health support is available 24/7 by calling or texting 211 or the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
- For Pasco residents, the BayCare Mobile Crisis Response Team is available at 727-372-4357.
Yoga classes are free to locals through Sunday at SunState Yoga in St. Petersburg.
Free hair wash and blowdry services, plus water, snacks and charging stations, will be available 9:30am-7:30pm Thursday at Slayed Hair & Beauty in Seminole.
- Text 727-303-8906 to book an appointment.
Small business owners can apply for an emergency loan of up to $50,000 through the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.
- Apply here.
Follow local governments on social media for the latest disaster response updates.