Tampa Bay Shelters Seek Volunteers Amid Cold
As temperatures drop across Tampa Bay, local authorities are urging residents to volunteer at cold weather shelters. The shelters provide a warm refuge for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Volunteers are needed to assist with intake, serving meals, and providing overnight supervision as high demand is expected.
- In Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, cold weather shelters are typically activated when the "feels like" temperature is expected to be 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower for at least two consecutive hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. - A network of nonprofit organizations and churches partners with county governments to operate these temporary shelters, including organizations like The Portico, Hyde Park United Methodist Church, and Amazing Love Ministries in Hillsborough, and the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas which coordinates with various churches and the Salvation Army. - For families with children requiring shelter, Hillsborough County often partners with Metropolitan Ministries to provide a limited number of motel vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis, as the congregate shelters are typically reserved for adults only. - The 2023 Point-in-Time count, a snapshot of the homeless population, identified 2,144 sheltered and unsheltered individuals in Pinellas County, indicating the scale of potential need for these emergency shelters during cold weather events. - To improve accessibility, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) often provides fare-free transportation to and from the cold weather shelters during activation periods. - The 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress from HUD noted that the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas County had one of the larger populations of people experiencing homelessness in a primarily urban area. - Pasco County also opens cold weather shelters at locations such as the Shady Hills Mission Chapel and the First Nazarene Church of Zephyrhills when freezing temperatures are predicted.
