TAMPA, Fla. — Wednesday was moving day for Otis Reynolds.
He moved into an apartment of his own in Tampa after living in one of the tents set up at the Catholic Charities Tampa Hope Center since September.
"I have been homeless three years off and on now," Reynolds said.
Thanks to the City of Tampa's Homeless Outreach team and Catholic Charities Tampa Hope, he is getting a fresh start.
The city's outreach team was created in 2022. They have partnered with various agencies like Catholic Charities Tampa Hope, the Salvation Army, and Tampa Police to connect with people experiencing homelessness and get them the resources they need.
Darrius Stallworth is one of the outreach liaisons.
"We are connecting them from the streets to a shelter bed and services immediately. Meaning showers if they haven't been able to shower. They're able to be fed and able to have a piece of mind, so to speak," Stallworth said.
Stallworth knows what it's like not to have a permanent home. In his late teens, he was homeless himself.
"I wish I had someone like me when I was going through what I was going through," Stallworth said.
Liaisons like Stallworth are also building relationships with property managers in hopes of placing people into permanent housing.
Since its inception, the outreach team, with the help of its partners, has made contact with more than 1,000 people and provided nearly 4,000 services.
Reynolds is proof the program is working.
"Today is the first time that I am getting back to stable and you know I'm happy," Reynold said.
