Over the past 20 years, Canty has mentored over 800 homeless women in the Tampa Bay community. She volunteers weekly at St. Petersburg Free Clinic Women's Residence, a transition residence that supports single homeless women. Canty helps determine what is necessary for individuals at the Women's Residence to become self-sufficient while educating and encouraging them to achieve their goals. As a mentor, Canty helps homeless women connect with their community by discovering new skills and hobbies.
Additionally, Canty's volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity has provided over 100 Tampa Bay families with permanent housing. Canty served 12 years as a family support coordinator for Habitat for Humanity and organized speakers and workshops for the nonprofit. To date, Canty has provided over 1,000 individuals with the tools and resources to be self-sufficient through her volunteer work.
Canty becomes the 383rd 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 this evening's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $19.3 million to more than 750 different nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2016, the Vinik's announced that the community hero program will give away another $10-million over the next five seasons.
