Tampa drop-in center for homeless reopens with new name, leadership

Just months ago, The Shop, a Tampa drop-in center for people experiencing homelessness, closed down, a victim of federal funding cuts. FedEx “We missed you” stickers littered the front door. Ceramic coffee mugs that once held the java that warmed struggling people sat empty. For decades, the drop-in center had been a source of respite and hope. Now, it needed investors and a new lease. Nonprofit WellBuilt Cities stepped in to lead the effort to reopen The Shop.

Today, it’s reemerged with a new name, renewed mission, and energized support to help even more.

Welcome to The Drop (Dignity and Resilience Operations Partnership). The rebranded space off Nebraska Avenue in Seminole Heights blends coffee and camaraderie to create a resiliency hub. The name has changed, but the center’s mission remains rooted in dignity and connection. 

“This is a space that serves our community in blue-sky seasons, when life is steady, and in gray-sky seasons, when storms come, whether those storms are hurricanes that make the news, or the quieter storms that happen in people’s lives every day,” says Well-Built Cities CEO Jon Dengler.

For 30 years, people relied on The Shop for a permanent address, hot showers, laundry services, and the much-mentioned cup of java. Now, partnerships with local faith-based groups, healthcare networks AdventHealth and BayCare, and charity care provider Pioneer Medical Foundation, have it poised to provide all of the above, and more.

This began the revolution. Dengler’s “Save The Shop” checklist listed four goals: raise funds for the first year’s lease; refresh the space; reopen as quickly as possible; prepare to help more than ever before.

The Drop is well on its way to accomplishing those objectives. It’s currently open on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for laundry, showers, mail, and internet use. Friday mornings, it’s open for breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 

“Since we opened, we’ve seen, in three months, over 1,000 visits,” Dengler says. “That’s 600 showers, 300 loads of laundry. We’re really excited for the expansion of service to come.”

Future goals include opening on additional days and continuing to expand services. With the 2024 hurricanes still a fresh memory, Dengler is working with others to create community partnerships that can be activated before, during, and after disasters. Meeting everyday needs is important, he says, but these partnerships should make for seamless action when the unexpected occurs.

“If we build these partnerships year-round, we have a center where we’re already collaborating and coordinating for those more acute needs,” he says. 

Partners are bringing more resources to help in the short and long term. Baycare and AdventHealth have pledged to send teams for public health screenings. There’s talk of long-time community partner Pioneer Medical Clinic establishing a permanent on-site clinic.

Local churches have brought hot soup during the cold winter, helped with the build-out, and staffed the center. The faith community, working together with corporate sponsors and everyday volunteers, help run The Drop.

For more information and details on how to volunteer and donate, go to The Drop