Cold Weather Shelters To Open To Homeless On Christmas Night In Pinellas County

From the Pinellas County Government:

Volunteers will open cold weather shelters on Christmas night to provide a warm, safe space for residents experiencing homelessness to avoid cold temperatures this weekend. The shelters will open the nights of Friday, Dec. 25 and Saturday, Dec. 26 from approximately 7 p.m. and close the following morning at 6 a.m. Shelter guests are provided a hot evening meal and breakfast the following morning. Guests will be advised if the shelter will be open on additional nights as conditions warrant.

The following cold weather shelters are available to adult men and women:

Clearwater
MLK Jr Neighborhood Center
1201 Douglas Ave
Clearwater, FL 33755
(813) 951-5632
Note: This shelter opens at 8 p.m.

Pinellas Park
Boy and Girls Club of the Suncoast in Pinellas Park
7709 61st Street N.
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
(727) 547-5437

St. Petersburg
Northwest Presbyterian Church
6330 54th Avenue N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33706
(727) 544-4551

The Turning Point
1810 5th Avenue N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
(727) 823-7811

Salvation Army
1400 4th Street S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33705
(727) 822-4954

Tarpon Springs
Boys and Girls Club of Tarpon Springs
111 W. Lime Street
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
(727) 937-6837

Families with children will be placed in family shelters on cold nights. Families should call 2-1-1, Tampa Bay Cares, Inc., for information about family shelters.

“Working at a homeless cold weather shelter on Christmas night is a unique and wonderful thing,” said Lauren Wolf, who coordinates the program with Cliff Smith. “This is neighbors helping neighbors and is the ultimate expression of the Christmas spirit.”

This giving spirit is present year-round for the volunteers, organizers and faith-based and community centers who open their doors to serve our houseless neighbors. However, this year is especially challenging due to COVID-19. Fewer volunteers are able to help, while more are required for temperature checks and distribution of face masks and sanitizer. With the number of homeless residents on the rise, social distancing requiring more physical space, and cleaning and safety protocols, covering basic expenses has become an even bigger challenge.

“We are grateful to a community that is always willing to support those in need,” said the program’s co-coordinator Cliff Smith. “At this time when all faiths come together during a season of giving, we are hoping for continued support and assistance to continue helping our most vulnerable individuals.”

For information on volunteering and supporting cold weather shelters, contact Cliff Smith at msuspartanman@msn.com or Lauren Wolf at lwolf@learning-empowered.org, or visit www.pinellashomeless.org/get-involved.

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.