Tampa officials get homeless veterans off streets | News
Tampa, Florida -- A mobile outreach program that helps homeless veterans find permanent homes while getting their lives back on track made a stop in the Bay area.
Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County along with the Department of Veteran's Affairs have come together to help get homeless vets off of the streets.
The program helps veterans with things like assessing their needs, exercising their benefits and if needed get them the appropriate mental health and substance abuse counseling.
Harry Mccurdy heads up the Homeless Veterans Program and hopes that it is making impact.
"It's been a very beneficial program to bring veterans that normally maybe never would have been housed get them off the streets and keep them permanently housed," said Mccurdy.
Theodore Triplett, one of dozens trying to get help at Lykes Gaslight Park on Wednesday, is a homeless Army Veteran has lost 2 children, does not have any friends or family to turn to and is living on the streets of Tampa.
Theodore has been homeless on and off for the past 2 years says that he sleeps outside at night and walks nearly 2 hours each day just to get a meal.
He came to the mobile outreach bus looking to get help.
"I'd like to see all of the vets off the street, get help, get there life turned around," said Triplett. "Everybody, just not vets, everybody."
The event's focus is on homeless veterans but organizers are reaching out to anyone who needs a home.
As of 4:30 p.m., officials say 18 homeless veterans and 15 non-homeless veterans learned of housing options and other programs that are available to them.
You may also like...
Prostitute Mug Shots: Arrests in nationwide sex trafficking sting
Bra Shaking: Police investigated for making woman shake her bra
Medical Pot for Toddler? Baby battles brain cancer
Faces of Meth: Before and After pictures
Olympic Theft: Olympian's gold medal stolen out of his car
4 H8TERZ: Florida's rejected license plates
Lewd Beach: Florida beach plagued by flashers
Hot robber: Pretty female robber wrestles giant clerk, wins
Quran Burning: Pastor arrested before lighting up holy books
Hooters Hotties: Beautiful women compete in 2013 Hooters swimsuit competition
Teen Lesbian Support: Online support grows 18-year-old girl who had same-sex relationship with 15-year-old
Prostitute Roundup: 92 arrested in online sex sting
Yellow light bust: Florida shortens yellow lights to cause more red light tickets
Hottie Internet Convict: Woman behind mug shot meme sets the record straight
Homebrew Soda: Man claims to find Coca-Cola recipe, sells it on eBay
Waterspouts: Video, images show waterspouts coming ashore
Motorcycles and bikinis: Bikini bike wash!
When neigh means neigh: Video shows man brutalizing, having sex with horse
Sex blog: Tampa area school CFO busted over her dirty sex porn blog *warning, GRAPHIC*
Nasty Nasty Dining: 10 of the nastiest restaurants in Tampa Bay in 2012
APP-tastic: Download the 10 News app for your iPad
Bikinis, mud, trucks: The Redneck Yacht Club
Outrageous mug shot galleries...
Strange: Some of the most unusual mug shots we've seen
Notorious Women: Bad girls behind bars
Teachers: Teacher arrest mugshots
Prostitutes: Prostitute mug shots
Porn arrests: Child porn arrest mug shots
Local Mugs: Hillsborough County Mug shots
More unusual mug shots and galleries: 10 News slideshows and galleries
