TAMPA, Fla. — There is a new resource for veterans in our area. On Friday afternoon, 10 Tampa Bay got an exclusive look inside the new St. Michael's Homeless Veteran Outreach Center in Tampa.
The center strives to provide a safe and welcoming environment for homeless veterans and their families. Its goal is to help them get back on their feet by providing the necessary resources and support. Those services include temporary housing, meals, counseling, job training, and medical care.
"This is going to help numerous veterans come off the street," Program Director Andy Reyes said. "This will get them directed to the right resources, the right shelter, things that are just going to better their lives."
They're similar resources to those offered at New Beginnings of Tampa Bay, an organization that has already helped countless veterans across Tampa Bay, including Matt Grimes.
"I come from a military family, so to me, it was just doing my patriotic duty," Grimes said of his years of service.
After he served in the Army, Grimes said he worked in construction and then became a certified H-VAC technician. Then, he said a hit-and-run changed his life, leaving him disabled and unable to work.
"My roommate was going to kick me out, so I had no place to go, no place to live or anything," Grimes said. "My social worker gave me a bunch of list of phone numbers and the New Beginnings number was on one of it. I called it and I told them my situation. He's like, yes, we have a bed available."
Through the resources provided to him, Grimes is now waiting to move into a new apartment.
"There's no way I could have done this on my own because I wasn't able to work, so I couldn't make the money to pay anything," he said.
Grimes hopes other veterans seek out services like those that will be provided at St. Michael's Homeless Veteran Outreach Center.
"Seek help even if it's just a phone call to your VA social worker. Seek help. Plain and simple. That's all I can say," Grimes added.
What else makes The St. Michael's Center special is that it was established for veterans, by veterans. That includes its Disabled Veteran Program Specialist Ted Davis.
"In the Marine Corps, we don't leave anybody behind. The last man standing, or last woman, we do not leave you behind. And that's what this is about," Davis said.
Its program director was also moved to get into this line of work after his own experiences.
"I'm a veteran, so I've been through tough times myself," Andy Reyes said. "I almost became homeless twice. I was a big drinker, but I got through it without the support of other veterans."
Now, Reyes pays it forward.
"US Army veteran and 14 years combat veteran twice to Iraq and Afghanistan. So I had to get out. But I'm back at it to help other people and serve my community," he said.
The center is located at 8145 N Nebraska Avenue and will be open to walk-in appointments beginning Monday morning. For more information, click here.