Hurricane Milton took non-profit’s building, but not its mission to serve Tampa kids

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS, Fla. - When Hurricane Milton hit the Tampa Bay Area last year, Tribe Seminole Heights—a small, nonprofit focused on children and families—suffered extensive water damage to its facility.

Rain poured through the roof, damaging ceilings, flooring, walls, and furniture and forcing the grassroots organization to close its doors to the public.

"It was necessary to rip out carpet in most rooms because it was soaked with water," said CEO Kristen Brown. "The biggest thing was that it didn’t feel safe for families to come back here, so we lost our place to have kids’ activities, to have music classes, to have art activities, and to serve families."

The backstory:

Since 2018, Tribe Seminole Heights has provided free clothing and shoes to children through its Community Closet, along with a broad array of affordable after-school programs in art, music, and coding. Brown's mission is to keep things approachable to any family. Classes are just $5 and baby and kids' clothes and shoes are free, no questions asked.

Since the storm, however, the joyful sounds of kids learning and creating have been replaced by the noise of ongoing repairs.

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"We have not heard the sounds of children playing music here for a year and that’s just the most heartbreaking thing to me," Brown said. "We haven’t made art, we haven’t had coding, we haven’t been able to have kids in here unless they were with their parent for an appointment at the Community Closet."

At the same time, Brown says the demand for help has exploded. Not only from families displaced by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but many more are reaching out as they struggle with rising costs.

The Community Closet quickly emptied in the wake of the storms, and Brown has had to juggle restocking with renovations, repairs, and a growing number of requests for basic needs.

What they're saying:

Brown says recovery has been slow but steady. With new ceilings installed and carpet replacement underway, she hopes to reopen the Community Closet more fully in a few weeks.

"Pretty soon we’ll be able to open the Community Closet in a more robust way," she said. "We’ll have it open two days a week where it’s easier for families to access... and we’ll be able to have some market days where families can just come in for that. In terms of programming for kids, we’re still a little bit off."

She also highlighted the unique challenges faced by small nonprofits during disaster recovery.

"Small nonprofits—we’re often serving the most vulnerable populations, but we are also the most vulnerable," Brown said. "We’re grassroots projects. We don’t receive major sources of funding. To recover when you’re not actively running programs takes a lot longer and it’s much more difficult."

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Brown added that every small setback has a ripple effect on the organization’s ability to fundraise and apply for grants.

"If we have to move every item from one room to another just to get the carpet replaced, that’s me not writing grants, that’s me not fundraising. But it’s what I feel is the priority, because without that, we can’t allow families to come in and get what they need. And those needs are urgent right now."

Why you should care:

For Brown, the mission goes beyond material aid—it’s about restoring hope to struggling families.

"Honestly, I think it means dignity," she said. "There are so many places where families have to fill out pages of paperwork just to get a little bit of help. Here, we’re welcoming. We just ask, ‘What do you need, how can we help?’ We’re here to serve those kids."

Since its founding, Tribe Seminole Heights has served more than 4,500 families across the Bay Area. And while the recovery has been difficult, Brown says her commitment hasn’t wavered.

"I have been here all along since the storm, and I will be here until they throw me out," she said. "As long as I have the opportunity to serve the families that have allowed me to build my dream, I’m going to be there."

What's next:

Brown says she expects to be able to reopen in two weeks and plans to have expanded offerings: a free family market stocked with donated home goods,  kids supplies, and baby gear. The nonprofit also partners with two local schools to identify and fill unmet needs for children throughout the year.

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For now, repairs at Tribe Seminole Heights continue, with hopes of fully reopening children’s programs once the building is deemed completely safe. In the meantime, the organization is still taking appointments for families in need and welcoming donations of children’s items, household goods, monetary contributions, and volunteer support.

Those looking to help or who need help can connect or contribute through tribeseminoleheights.com or via the nonprofit’s social media pages.

Seminole HeightsHurricane Milton