Support Tampa CW’s new Dorothy Day Hospitality House Drop-In Center
The new Dorothy Day Tampa Hospitality House will provide critical services such as showers, laundry, mail collection, computer access, coffee, and community meals, as well as compassion and respite.
Dear friends,
Led entirely by volunteers, Dorothy Day Tampa aims to live out the radical hospitality of the legendary Catholic activist, Dorothy Day. Following Day’s example, they believe in the dignity and value of every person, regardless of life circumstances. The new Dorothy Day Tampa Hospitality House will provide critical services such as showers, laundry, mail collection, computer access, coffee, and community meals, as well as compassion and respite. Most importantly, it will connect people to the resources they need to move forward, through partnerships with organizations like Gracepoint Wellness. On-site case management will link individuals to health services, job training, housing assistance, and more. This comprehensive, holistic, person-centered approach provides real solutions and lasting change.
Day shelters like this are a proven, powerful model with tangible results. By providing stability and community, they help people obtain housing, employment, and healthcare. Hospitality Houses affirm dignity and foster hope.
Tragically, Hillsborough County currently has only one homeless drop-in shelter open during daytime hours – Gracepoint’s Coffee Shop. Over 4,000 of our neighbors are homeless, with a single place to go for basic needs or relief from the streets. The Dorothy Day Tampa Hospitality House will fill this urgent gap in services.
After forming just last year, Dorothy Day Tampa’s dedicated Development Board has accomplished so much. They have assembled a functioning nonprofit organization, gained IRS 501(c)(3) status, built a web presence, created a homeless resources guide accessible by QR code, and began mobilizing volunteers. Now they’ve identified an ideal location for the Hospitality House, accessible to Tampa’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Please visit our website – https://www.dorothydaytampa.org/ – and see attachments – Homeless Resource Guide with QR Code for Smartphone Access and Dorothy Day Tampa Development Stages.
With your support, Dorothy Day Tampa can fund supplies, equipment, insurance, and renovations to open the Hospitality House by early 2024. Each contribution brings us closer to providing compassionate care and life-changing assistance.
Dorothy Day Tampa needs partners like you to make this vision a reality. Their shoestring budget and all-volunteer team mean every dollar counts. Your gift will fund necessities like:
- Showers, laundry machines, bathroom supplies, and improvements ($5,000)
- Food, water, and kitchen equipment ($3,000)
- Office furniture and technology ($5,000)
- Insurance, permits, and shelter renovations ($7,000)
- Outreach materials, website, and administrative costs ($3,000)
No amount is too small. Whether $5,000, $500, or $50, your contribution will directly impact lives. Together, we can restore dignity and provide critical aid so the most vulnerable among us can access the services they need to get back on their feet. To donate – https://www.dorothydaytampa.org/support-us
Opening the Hospitality House is just the beginning. Dorothy Day Tampa’s ultimate vision is a comprehensive campus that prevents and ends homelessness through a continuum of programs and services.
With your help, the Hospitality House will lay the foundation for this vision. Each life transformed there will radiate hope across our community.
Please consider lending your support to this effort today to care for our marginalized neighbors in need. Your compassion and generosity will uplift those who are hurting and isolated. Let’s come together to provide radical hospitality and uplift human dignity. On behalf of Dorothy Day Tampa, thank you for taking the time to learn more about this exciting initiative. I welcome any questions you may have.
With gratitude,
Michael Doyle – Co-founder, Dorothy Day Tampa
