Elliott & Dianne Steele honored as Lightning Community Heroes

TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Elliott and Dianne Steele as the Lightning Community Hero this evening during the first period of tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators. The Steeles, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, presented by Jabil, will donate the money to Vincent House.

The Steeles have advocated for individuals who suffer from major mental illnesses over the past 30 years in the state of Florida. Drawing from their own personal experiences with mental illness, they felt compelled to find a way to help those suffering from these illnesses to still lead fulfilling lives. Although working very successful jobs, they each left their professions to dedicate more time to finding a solution and help people living with a mental illness find meaning in their lives and dreams again. After years of advocacy and research, they found the Clubhouse model of treatment and founded their own nonprofit based on those principles, named Vincent House.

A Clubhouse model is based on psychosocial rehabilitation, which provides a collaborative, restorative environment where members can recover by gaining access to opportunities for employment, socialization, education, skill development, housing, and improved wellness. The Steeles were the first to bring this method of treatment to Florida, starting with a Clubhouse in Pinellas Park. Today, they also have Clubhouses in Hernando and Pasco counties Through their hard work and dedication, over 400 members have been assisted by Vincent House, with over 110 of them successfully finding employment.

The funds from tonight’s grant will be used to continue to further the unique mission of Vincent House. As Vincent House has grown, the need for safe, decent, affordable housing has become necessary for members, especially given the lack of affordable options currently in Florida. These funds will be used to build six affordable housing units in Pinellas Park, giving several members the opportunity to continue leading independent, fulfilling lives.

The Steeles became the 575th Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik 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 $31.12 million to nearly 750 unique nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2021, the Viniks announced that the Community Hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.