TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Stephanie Haile as the Lightning Community Hero this evening during the first period of tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Haile, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Hero program, presented by Jabil, will donate the money to New Life Warehouse.

Haile has spent a majority of her life helping those in need help to rebuild their lives. As a former Guardian ad Litem serving children in foster care, Haile quickly realized willing family members were not able to accept children into their homes because they lacked essential household furniture necessary to pass a home study. Seeing this unmet need so frequently, she decided to act: first by personally collecting and delivering items to families out of her garage, to founding her nonprofit, New Life Warehouse. As New Life Warehouse has continued to expand, so have the needs of individuals they serve. Along with still serving families with children in the foster care system, they now also support families transitioning out of homelessness, resettled refugees, survivors of domestic violence and trafficking victims. In the four years New Life Warehouse has been in existence, they have served over 2,000 families in the Tampa Bay Area.

The funds from tonight’s grant will be used to expand New Life Warehouse’s reach within the Tampa Bay region. This grant will allow New Life Warehouse to invest in two enclosed trailers, which would be used during the week to pick up furniture from people who are donating, and to deliver to the client families on delivery Saturdays. Additionally, funding would support purchasing beds, mattresses, dressers, and other items to be given directly to the families they serve. The money would fund 42 whole homes for local families that own nothing.

Haile became the 592nd Lightning Community Hero since the Vinik Family introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. Through tonight’s game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $31.97 million to nearly 750 unique nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2021, the Vinik family announced that the Community Hero program will contribute another $10 million over the next five seasons.