In the wake of the recent shootings in Seminole Heights, the Salvation Army in Tampa is urging people living on the area's streets to come to their shelter for safety reasons.
- Agency offering free shuttles from Seminole Heights center to shelter
- Walk from Seminole Heights to shelter about an hour
- "We want to be there for our neighbors."
“We know this is an anxious time to be in Seminole Heights," said Salvation Army Captain Andy Miller. "We’ve been in Seminole heights, serving in Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, downtown Tampa -- this is our neighborhood and we want to be there for our neighbors."
The agency is offering shuttles to their shelter downtown for people who show up to their Seminole Heights location during business hours. They said the walk from Seminole Heights to downtown is about an hour, so they’re doing anything they can to get people off the streets and prevent them from becoming a potential victim.
“Our goal all together is to get people off the streets and on their feet, so our sense is that this might be a way for them to come to our shelter and really find a safe place,” Miller said. “If it takes an unfortunate situation like this to help people to get off the street, we want to be there for them at that point.”
Vanessa Morris is staying at the Salvation Army shelter downtown, but she grew up in Seminole Heights. She said she’s hoping people in that community who have no place to go take up the agency on their offer, especially with what appears to be a serial killer loose on the streets.
“Nine out of ten, if they have the ok to come here, then they should go ahead and come to the Salvation Army and get some kind of shelter,’ Morris said.
She even offered advice to those people hesitant to leave the area.
“Don’t take nothing for granted, and if you can, just get into a safe place to where you’re ok,” she said.