PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – With the “feels like” temperature expected to plunge to 40 degrees or lower, the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas announced Wednesday that cold weather shelters will activate across the county for Thursday night, Jan. 15.
The emergency accommodations will operate from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., offering a warm place to sleep and, at many locations, a meal. Officials noted that the activation is currently set for Thursday night only; shelters are not scheduled to open on Friday, Jan. 16.
To help residents reach safety, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is waiving fares for anyone traveling to a shelter. Free rides will be available from 5 p.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Friday. Passengers simply need to inform the driver they are heading to a cold night shelter to board without payment.
READ: Big Chill Incoming: Rain And Gusts To Usher In Near-Freezing Lows For Tampa Bay
Families with children seeking shelter should contact the 2-1-1 First Contact line for placement assistance, as space permits.
Adult men and women can access the following locations on a first-come, first-served basis until full:
Tarpon Springs
- St. Timothy Lutheran Church: 812 E Tarpon Ave (PSTA Route 19)
Clearwater
- First United Methodist Church of Clearwater: 411 Turner St. (PSTA Route 52A)
Pinellas Park
- Boys & Girls Club of Pinellas Park: 7790 61st St. N. (PSTA Route 74)
- First United Methodist Church of Pinellas Park: 9025 49th St. N. (PSTA Route 49)
St. Petersburg
- Unitarian Universalist Church: 100 Mirror Lake Drive N. (Requires stairs; PSTA Routes 9, 20, 24, SunRunner)
- Salvation Army: 1400 4th St. S. (PSTA Routes 4A or 4B)
- Allendale Church: 3803 Haines Rd. N. (PSTA Routes 16, 38)
Community members interested in assisting during this freeze or future cold snaps are encouraged to sign up at pinellashomeless.org/become-a-volunteer.
CORRECTION: The release from Pinellas County said the Tarpon Springs location was the Boys and Girls Club of Tarpon Springs. This story has been updated to reflect that the location is St. Timothy Lutheran Church.
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