Much of Central Florida is forecast to experience lows in the 30s Tuesday morning -- and wind chills in the mid- to upper 20s -- and the National Weather Service has issued a cold weather advisory for the area.
In response, warming shelters are opening for people who need them.
MARION COUNTY
In Ocala, where the low is expected to dip below freezing, the mayor says the Salvation Army shelter 320 NW 1st Ave. is prepared for an influx.
Mayor Ben Marciano made the announcement on Facebook. He added: “The Marion County Sheriff’s Office - Emergency Management Division will be working with the Salvation Army and our other community partners to ensure the safety and well-being of those that require the need for cold weather sheltering.”
Marciano said the check-in is 6 p.m., with a hot meal at 5 p.m.
The shelter is asking for donations of blankets, socks, gloves and other cold weather gear -- and non-perishable food items.
LAKE COUNTY
Lake County has announced a cold weather shelter at LifePointe Church, 3551 E. Orange Ave. in Eustis, and is providing free transportation to the shelter through LakeXpress and other transit options.
The shelter opens at 5 p.m. Monday. The county will determine how long it remains open based on weather conditions.
For transit information:
- LakeXpress’s Fixed Route Bus Service, call (352)742-1940.
- Lake County’s Connection Paratransit Service, call (352)742-2612.
ORANGE COUNTY
Orange County will open warming centers at two locations –
Barnett Park and the Goldenrod Recreation Center – from 5 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Also, these homeless shelters Orange County will expand their capacity to meet the increased need:
- The Coalition for the Homeless, 18 N. Terry Ave. in Orlando.
- The Salvation Army, 624 Lexington Ave. in Orlando.
- Orlando Union Rescue Mission Project Hope (single men only), 3300 W. Colonial Drive in Orlando.
The shelters cannot take pets, but the warming centers in Orange County can take them, if they are crated.
Lynx buses will provide free transportation to the shelters and warming centers.
"Lynx will also schedule a special stop at the Samaritan Resource Center in East Orange at 4:30 this afternoon to transport people seeking shelter," according to a news release the homeless network, "and it will run a shuttle from the Coalition for the Homeless and the Salvation Army Orlando to county warming centers this evening should the shelters fill up."
ORANGE AND BREVARD COUNTIES
Matthew's Hope is opening cold weather shelters in Orange and Brevard counties.
The locations are 825 Forrest Ave. in Cocoa and Winter Garden at 611 Business Park Blvd. in Winter Garden
The shelters are for people experiencing homelessness. They open at 4 p.m., and Matthew’s Hope will be picking people up at its typical locations beginning at 3:30 p.m.
You can find a list of the charity’s donation needs on its Facebook pages.
OSCEOLA COUNTY
Osceola County is offering free transportation on LYNX buses to cold weather shelters at three churches:
- First United Methodist Church St. Cloud, 1000 Ohio Ave., St. Cloud.
- Iglesia del Nazareno Casa de Vida, 2367 Fortune Road, Kissimmee.
- Poinciana Christian Church, 3181 Pleasant Hill Road, Kissimmee.
The shelters open at 6 p.m.
SEMINOLE COUNTY
Rescue Outreach Mission, at 1701 Historic Goldsboro Blvd. in Sanford, has announced that it is officially opening as an extended-capacity cold weather shelter in partnership with Seminole County Emergency Management. The shelter is preparing for an additional 25 to 30 people on Monday and Tuesday nights.
VOLUSIA COUNTY
In DeLand, the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia has announced that The Bridge Shelter, at 421 S. Palmetto Ave., is welcoming people in from the cold Monday and Tuesday nights. The opening time is 5 p.m., which is before dinner is served.
