Pinellas Camp For Homeless Raises Enough To Stay Open

By TBO.COM | Tbo.com
Published: April 28, 2008

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ST. PETERSBURG - A camp for the homeless in Pinellas County will stay open through the summer thanks to last-minute fundraising.

Pinellas Hope, a $1 million pilot project initially funded by Pinellas County, St. Petersburg and retired businessman Harry Stonecipher, will remain open through September because of recent donations, said Frank Murphy of Catholic Charities. The Diocese of St. Petersburg owns the land.

Without the private funding, the project would have closed by April 30, Murphy said.

More than $150,000 of the $200,000 needed to run a scaled-down version of the camp has been raised, Murphy said.

There are about 100 people at the camp, and Pinellas Hope has helped more than 450 people. Of that number, 108 were able to find housing and 40 moved to other programs for assistance, Murphy said.

The camp reached capacity in December.