ST. PETERSBURG — St. Vincent de Paul, best known for feeding the poor and homeless at its facility on the edge of downtown, will receive an additional $6 million from the federal government to help homeless and financially struggling veterans and their families.
Tuesday's announcement from the Department of Veterans Affairs brings to $9 million the grants the charity has been awarded in recent weeks. The money is part of a multimillion-dollar national effort to help end homelessness among veterans.
Michael Raposa, St. Vincent de Paul's chief executive officer, said the agency plans to help at least 800 homeless and at-risk veterans and their families during the new fiscal year that begins Wednesday.
In August, the St. Petersburg agency learned it would get $3 million to be divided equally to help veterans in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Raposa said the additional $6 million awarded this week will be spread over the next three years as part of an effort focused on "high need" communities.
Last year St. Vincent de Paul got $1.5 million and helped 491 veterans and their families in Pinellas and Pasco counties. The money was used to put veterans in homes, help prevent the loss of housing and provide other services, including assistance with obtaining VA and other government benefits. The previous year, the agency got $1 million to help veterans in Pinellas County.
Contact Waveney Ann Moore at wmoore@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2283. Follow @wmooretimes.