Several counties in Southwest Florida are making plans in advance of expected cold weather this week by opening shelters and coordinating on cold weather outreach.
Charlotte County
In Charlotte County, the forecast of cold temperatures made by the National Weather Service for Monday and Tuesday nights has prompted the Charlotte CARE Center (formerly the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition), 1476 Kenesaw St., Port Charlotte, to provide shelter to persons needing refuge from the cold.
Those looking to take advantage need to pre-register by calling 941-627-4313 and arrive by 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, Lee County government is coordinating with its partner agencies to activate cold-weather outreach this week.
Lee County
Lee County Emergency Management, the Lee County Department of Human & Veteran Services, Lee County Transit (LeeTran) and additional partners typically coordinate to implement plans during winter fronts such as the one anticipated this week.
Plans include:
- Tuesday, Jan. 7, through Thursday, Jan. 9: The Salvation Army will offer daytime respite from the cold from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 239-789-1169.
- Wednesday, Jan. 8, and Thursday, Jan. 9: LeeTran will provide warming bus stations from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at:
- Cape Coral Transfer Center, 820 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33904
- Edison Mall Transfer Center, 4300 Solomon Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33901 (The transfer center is located at the south end of the Edison Mall parking lot)
- Tuesday, Jan. 7, through Thursday, Jan. 9: Human & Veteran Services (HVS) staff as part of the Housing, Outreach and Treatment (HOT) teams will reach out to individuals throughout the community to offer information and resources to those who are experiencing homelessness. HOT teams will provide cold-weather supplies such as jackets and blankets.
The Lee County HVS coordinated entry phone line also is available by calling 239-533-7996. The department’s HVS Reach app, which is a free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play, is another way individuals experiencing homelessness can gain information. App users should sign up to receive push alerts to receive timely updates.
Sarasota County
Sarasota County will be opening a cold weather shelter today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the 100 Church, 14525 Tamiami Trail in North Port. A meal will be provided.
An additional shelter will be at the Salvation Army, 1400 10th St., Sarasota, from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Dinner, snacks, and breakfast will be provided at this shelter by All Faiths Food Bank; attendees are asked to bring their own sleeping materials.
Transportation to either shelter is available via the Breeze Transit Network’s Route 9, which runs along Tamiami Trail at Espanola Avenue and Almonte Terrace, a 0.1-mile walk to the 100 Church shelter. The Salvation Army shelter is a 0.2-mile walk from the Breeze bus stop on Orange Avenue at 10th Street (routes 7 and 8), or a 0.3-mile walk from the Breeze bus stop on Cocoanut Avenue at Ninth Street (routes 2 and 99).
- Visit www.scgov.net/breeze for information on Breeze services. The Breeze Rider app can also be used to check bus arrival times and plan routes.
Emergency Management officials remind residents that pets should not be left outside during the cold weather. Those who need to be outside overnight or during the early morning hours are encouraged to dress in several warm layers and limit skin exposure to the wind. Sarasota County Fire Department officials advise using extreme caution when heating your home, as the risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning increases during very cold weather due to the improper use of heating devices. More heating safety tips can be found here.
Manatee County
Manatee will continuing to monitor the weather for possible cold weather impacts.
The following actions have taken place by Emergency Management and our Health Services Team in the EMS Division:
- Salvation Army, Red Cross and Turning Points have been contacted to verify their availability for warming centers for our vulnerable population.
- All agencies have verified that they have both bed space and staff to accommodate those who may require sheltering during the severe weather.
- Both Salvation Army and Turning Points have agreements with our Health Services team in the EMS Division and those agreements hold all provisions for any inclement weather and how these agencies will service our vulnerable population.
- The Salvation Army serves as the contracted cold weather shelter for the county.
Their plan dictates that when temperatures drop below 45 degrees, they activate their cold weather shelter plans. - The Salvation Army has approximately 75 – 100 spaces available for women, family, and children.
They have approximately 150 spaces available for single men.
The Salvation Army has confirmed that they can increase capacity as needed for this cold weather event. - Community partners who work with homeless individuals have been notified of the potential weather and will also push out our messaging as appropriate.
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