How to give help and get help in Tampa Bay after Hurricane Helene

With every passing hour since Hurricane Helene swiped Tampa Bay, a stark reality sharpens:

• We're at the beginning of a long road to recovery.

State of play: Governments, organizations and industrious neighbors are working to provide immediate relief to storm survivors, while federal emergency officials and local nonprofits are setting up for longer-term aid.

• And for those who want to help, some local and state groups are collecting donations and assembling volunteers.

Here are some ways to help and get help. Please send resources or opportunities not listed here to tampa@axios.com .

Give help

Drop off food, water, ice, toiletries and cleaning supplies to storm survivors in Gulfport at the Gulfport Senior Center , via the Gulfport Merchants Chamber .

Donate cleaning supplies and yard-work tools at 11 locations in central Pinellas County, including Jenergy Air Services, Plumbing by Paul and both locations of Southie Coffee.

• See the full list here .

Donate cleaning supplies and safety gear at these locations of home-building nonprofit Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside:

• Pinellas Administrative Headquarters : 14010 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 704, Clearwater
• Pasco County office: 7237 Little Road, New Port Richey
• Hernando County office/Hernando County Chamber of Commerce: 15588 Aviation Loop Drive, Brooksville

Donate money or items from an Amazon wishlist to Indian Rocks Beach Trash Tribe, a conservation nonprofit supporting the barrier islands.

• Fans, shovels, dehumidifiers and cleaning supplies are the biggest needs, the group posted Sunday night on Facebook .

Register for volunteer opportunities through the following organizations:

• Volunteer Florida
• Feeding Tampa Bay Emergency Response Volunteer Team

Donate money to these local and state organizations:

• Florida Disaster Fund : The state of Florida's official private fund that distributes money to service organizations and individuals
• 211 Tampa Bay Cares : Connects people to housing, food, mental health resources and more
• Feeding Tampa Bay : Distributes groceries and operates standalone market and cafe
• Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside : Builds homes for low-income families
• Metropolitan Ministries : Provides disaster relief, meals, housing, education and more
• Tampa Bay Resiliency Fund : A fund run by a coalition of nonprofits that provides disaster relief to residents
• Tampa Bay Rapid Response Fund : A fund run by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay to address emergency situations.
• GoFundMe compiled a database of verified Hurricane Helene relief fundraisers for both individuals and businesses.
• Find the platform's verification guidelines here and tips on how to determine if a fundraiser is trustworthy here .

Get help

FEMA aid is now available along the Gulf Coast from Lee to Franklin counties.

• Apply online here , by phone at 1-800-621-3362 or via the FEMA app.
• FEMA can't help with damage covered by your insurance , so file a claim with your insurer first.

Free groceries will be available at several nonprofit-hosted sites this week:

• Feeding Tampa Bay's food distribution event calendar , with events in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk and Manatee.
• St. Pete Free Clinic 's We Help Free Pantry at 863 Third Ave. N (8:30am-3pm) and Deuces Drive-Thru at 2198 15th Ave. S (2pm-6pm).

Comfort stations with air conditioning, showers, power and more open across region:

• St. Petersburg
• YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg wellness center locations
• Gulfport
• Pinellas County, Clearwater and Madeira Beach
• Pasco County and New Port Richey

A Hillsborough County disaster recovery center will open on Monday at The Regent at Hillsborough Community College in Riverview.

• Operating hours are 1pm-6pm Monday, 9am-6pm Tuesday-Sunday.

Get cleanup help through Crisis Cleanup, a disaster work order platform that connects volunteers to people in need.

• Call the hotline at 844-965-1386.

Emergency hotlines remain open to answer questions from residents.

• Pinellas County Information Center: 727-464-4333, open daily from 8am-6pm until further notice
• Hillsborough County storm information line: 833-427-8676
• Pasco County residents can report their food, water, clothing and shelter needs at 727-847-4211 or online here .

Free pet supplies are available for Pinellas County residents through Pupactive , a clothing brand for dog lovers.

• Text Lara at 727-492-7238

Mental health support is available 24/7 by calling or texting 211 or the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

• For Pasco residents, the BayCare Mobile Crisis Response Team is available at ​​727-372-4357.

Yoga classes are free to locals through Sunday at SunState Yoga in St. Petersburg.

Free hair wash and blowdry services, plus water, snacks and charging stations, will be available 9:30am-7:30pm Thursday at Slayed Hair & Beauty in Seminole.

• Text 727-303-8906 to book an appointment.

Small business owners can apply for an emergency loan of up to $50,000 through the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.

• Apply here .

Follow local governments on social media for the latest disaster response updates.

• Pinellas County
• St. Petersburg
• Clearwater
• Hillsborough County
• Tampa
• Pasco County