Tampa Crossroads Helping to Connect Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Electric with Local Veterans for Share Program

Tampa, FL, July 04, 2021 --(PR.com)-- The Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Electric are partnering for the second year on the Share Program, which will pay the utility bills for 31 local Veterans during the month of July. Tampa Crossroads, a nonprofit organization serving the Tampa Bay community since 1977, works closely with the local Veteran population and is helping to identify potential program recipients.

“Living in Tampa, a community that so greatly supports our nation’s Veterans, brings me tremendous pride, as does working at Tampa Crossroads, where we have spent the last decade helping Veterans who are experiencing homelessness,” said Tampa Crossroads’ Chief Executive Officer Gwendolyn Green, LMHC, MCAP. “With this partnership between TECO and our home team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, we are able to further the work we can do at Tampa Crossroads, relieving our Veterans by removing one payment to worry about. We are incredibly thankful for the Lightning and TECO for this opportunity to help our Veterans.”

"We are excited to continue our community outreach with our friends and partners at TECO to support those in need throughout Tampa Bay," said Elizabeth Frazier, Sr. Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Initiatives and Executive Director of the Lightning Foundation. "Last year we were proud to partner and support 91 residents who were impacted by the pandemic and were in need of financial assistance to pay their utility bills; this year, with the launch of the program occurring this 4th of July weekend, we are honored to continue the program with a focus on supporting Veterans throughout the month of July. Our veterans do so much to protect our freedom every day, and it is our honor to support them as a thank you for their service."

"We are proud to join forces with the Lightning to give back to local veterans in such a powerful way, through the Share program," said Archie Collins, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric. "We're also grateful to Tampa Crossroads and to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for connecting us with the veterans who need the most help."

Tampa Crossroads operates the only Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Accredited Rapid Rehousing program in West Central Florida. Tampa Crossroads’ Veterans Assistance Center is part of a national effort to end Veteran homelessness and is funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veterans & Families (SSVF) Program.

Through the Veterans Assistance Center, Tampa Crossroads offers outreach and supportive services to Veterans and their families who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of losing their housing. The nonprofit provides Veterans with a continuum of specialized housing services, case management, connections to VA and mainstream benefits, and other supportive services.

Since 2017, the Tampa Crossroads Veterans Assistance Center has served more than 2000 Veterans and their families, including:
• Three Korean War Veterans
• 224 female Veterans
• 352 minors
• One set of twin brothers who are both Veterans

With a mission to remove barriers in accessing behavioral wellness, housing, and employment services in the community, Tampa Crossroads strives to provide hope, support, and opportunities for positive change to people, as they navigate life’s crossroads together.

Other Tampa Crossroads’ programs include the Behavioral Wellness Center, known as “BeWell,” which offers drug testing, SMART Recovery meetings, and outpatient treatment; the Career Center with services for adults with disabilities; Rose Manor, a residential treatment center for women only; and Eco Oaks, an energy-efficient affordable housing complex in the Tampa area. For more information about Tampa Crossroads, visit www.tampacrossroads.com.