<div><strong>Tampa has lost its only homeless drop-in center. We need your help to bring it back.</strong>
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<div>For over 20 years, Gracepoint Wellness's "The Coffee Shop," near Downtown Tampa, has been more than just a place—it's been hope. Known simply as "The Shop" to the 50 people who visited daily, this unique facility was Florida's ONLY comprehensive drop-in center for people experiencing homelessness.
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<div><strong>What Made The Coffee Shop So Critical?</strong>
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<div>The Coffee Shop wasn't just another shelter. It was a one-stop lifeline that provided:
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<li>Mailing address required to receive social assistance and benefits
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<li>Shower and laundry facilities, restoring dignity and enabling job searches
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<li>Internet and phone access, connecting people to resources and loved ones
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<li>Case management services, helping navigate healthcare, housing, and benefits
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<li>Safe respite from severe weather, literally life-saving during Tampa's brutal summers
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<li>Basic necessities like hot coffee, snacks, clothing, and hygiene items
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<div><strong>The Crisis We Face</strong>
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<div>In January 2025, federal funding cuts devastated social services nationwide. The Coffee Shop, which operated efficiently on just $300,000 annually, lost its primary funding source and was forced to close in July.
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<div>Today, the 8,400 square-foot building sits empty—chairs stacked in offices, motivational phrases still on the walls: "Have hope. Be strong."
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<div>But hope isn't lost.
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</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/94348565_1757088250201771_r." width="100%" />
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<div><strong>The Mission: Bring The Shop Back</strong>
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<div>WellBuilt Cities, a Tampa nonprofit, is leading the charge to reopen The Coffee Shop through community support, partnering with local churches and organizations who understand what Tampa has lost.
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<div>April McCullohs from Grace Family Church described the devastating impact: "That was just a huge relief for me, to have this as a resource where I could send people. We're a church, so we couldn't do everything. We could send them somewhere to take the next step."
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<div><strong>Your Investment Makes a Difference</strong>
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<div><strong>**Goal: $180,000**</strong> to fund operations for 12 months.
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<div>This covers:
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<li>$120,000 for rent, utilities, and liability insurance
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<li>$60,000 for staffing, supplies, and facility refurbishment
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<div><strong>**Just $90,000** </strong>secures the lease and begins limited operations immediately.
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<div>Every dollar goes directly to services:
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<li>$50 provides a week of shower access for one person
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<li>$100 covers a month of mail services for someone seeking employment
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<li>$500 contributes to case management helping people navigate benefits
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<li>$1,000 keeps the lights on and doors open for a month
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<div><strong>Why This Matters Now</strong>
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<div>As nonprofits nationwide face funding cuts and local ordinances increasingly criminalize homelessness, grassroots support becomes essential. The Coffee Shop proved that relatively small investments in human dignity create profound community impact.
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<div>Jon Dengler, WellBuilt Cities' founder, put it simply: "We can't count on the government to take care of all these things. We have to take care of ourselves and our neighbors."
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<div><strong>Join Tampa's Movement of Hope</strong>
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<div>The Coffee Shop was unique in Florida—and we can't let it disappear forever. Your donation doesn't just fund a facility; it restores a community lifeline that helps our most vulnerable neighbors rebuild their lives.
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<div>Every person deserves access to basic dignity: a shower, a safe address, a pathway to stability. The Coffee Shop provided that pathway for decades. With your help, it will again.
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<div><strong>**Donate today. Help us prove that Tampa takes care of its own.**</strong>
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<div><em>For more information about WellBuilt Cities and our community partnerships, visit </em><a href="https://www.wellbuilt.city/." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em><a href="https://www.wellbuilt.city/." target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.wellbuilt.city/.</a></em></a><em> All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.</em>
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Anonymous

Payeance Moore

Joshua Paine

Reopen The Coffee Shop: Tampa's Lifeline for the Unhoused

Still $15,575 to go. Help us build momentum.