FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – The cold weather that has settled in Central Florida is keeping some area shelters open a little longer.
Flagler and Volusia counties will be opening its shelters Friday night and Saturday night as temperatures are expected to fall overnight Friday and Saturday, with wake-up temperatures in the 30s and 40s and wind chill readings in the 20s.
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Orange County
Orange County government is opening a warming center this weekend to help the area’s shelters deal with the influx of people seeking refuge from the cold.
The Warming Center will be located at the Goldenrod Recreation Center/Goldenrod Park at 4863 N. Goldenrod Road in Winter Park. The center will be open from 5 p.m. Saturday through 10 a.m. Sunday.
The shelters and the Warming Center are available for homeless people, people without stable housing and residents who can’t adequately heat their homes.
In addition, regional LYNX buses are providing free rides for those trying to get to a shelter. Riders need to let the LYNX driver know they need to go to a warming center, and the driver will take them to the nearest location.
Refer to the Orange County government website for more info.
These are the shelters operating in the area:
- Coalition for the Homeless Shelter 18 N. Terry Ave, Orlando, FL 32801
- The Salvation Army Orlando (Men Only)624 Lexington Ave., Orlando, FL 32801
- Orlando Union Rescue Mission 3300 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808
Flagler County
The Sheltering Tree will open its cold weather shelter on Friday and Saturday night at the Rock Transformation Center.
This shelter will serve both the homeless and anyone without a warm place to stay.
Bus transportation will be offered by the county along two routes, adhering to the schedules provided below.
East side of the county
- Dollar General at Publix Town Center on Market Avenue (leads to Dollar General), 3:30 p.m.
- McDonald’s at Old Kings Road South and State Road 100 at the dirt road on the east side, 4 p.m.
- Dollar Tree behind Carrabba’s in the Dollar Tree Parking lot, 4:30 p.m.
- Palm Coast Main Branch Library, northwest corner of Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway, 4:45 p.m.
West side of the county
- Dollar General at County Road 305 and Canal Avenue in Daytona North, 4 p.m.
- Bunnell Free Clinic, 703 Moody Boulevard, 4:30 p.m.
- First United Methodist Church in Bunnell, 205 N. Pine Street, 4:30 p.m. (listed as the same pick-up time because of the close proximity)
“We urge those who lack adequate housing or adequate heat for their residences to come to the cold-weather shelter,” Joseph Hegedus, Health and Human Services director, said in a release. “The Sheltering Tree and the Rock Transformation Center will provide cots and meals. We – Flagler County – will be providing transportation to the shelter for those who need it.”
The Rock Transformation Center is located at 2200 N. State St.
The cold weather shelter will open at 5 p.m. and close at 8 p.m. the next day.
Volusia County
Volusia County will open shelters starting at 6 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
For those on the county’s west side, the Neighborhood Center’s The Bridge, located at 421 S. Palmetto Ave., will accept guests from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more info, call 386-734-8120 ext. 601.
On the east side, the shelter will be coordinated by Halifax Urban Ministries. Call for more information at 386-317-5886.
If you need transportation, contact the numbers above for arrangements.
Osceola County
Two Osceola County churches will open their doors Saturday evening to serve as overnight cold weather shelters.
First United Methodist Church, located at 1000 Ohio Avenue in St. Cloud, and Solid Rock Community Church, located at 1904 Michigan Avenue in Kissimmee, will open at 6 p.m.
Anyone needing transportation to those locations can get there for free by using a LYNX bus and alerting its driver that they’re going to a cold weather shelter.
The county’s cold weather shelter collaboration program activates when overnight temperatures are expected to dip below 40 degrees for more than four consecutive hours. January 2023 marked the last time the program was activated, according to a news release.
Osceola residents can sign up for alerts on their phone by texting “coldweather” to 888777.
Lake County
A church in Eustis will serve as a cold weather shelter for Lake County residents vulnerable to freezing temperatures expected over the weekend.
The shelter — LifePointe Church — is located at 3551 E. Orange Avenue. It will be open from 5 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, according to the county.
Free transportation to the shelter from designated stops is offered via the Lake County Connection bus service. Those in such need are advised to call Lake County Connection at 352-742-2612 by 4 p.m. Friday to make arrangements.
Additionally, a warming center managed by the Salvation Army will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The warming center is located at 2605 South Street in Leesburg.
More information on bus routes and transportation to cold weather shelters can be found at RideLakeExpress.com/Shelters.
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