Central Florida hits 'feels-like' freezing temperatures, nonprofits open shelters, jurisdictions join tonight
By Lillian Hernández Caraballo
January 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM EST
As northern parts of the Sunshine State set record levels of snow this week, Central Florida received a warning against “hazardous conditions,” prompting several local governments and nonprofits to continue opening cold-night weather shelters.
Typically, regional officials wait for temperatures to drop below 40 degrees before opening emergency shelters to serve people experiencing homelessness or lacking safe and adequate housing. With temperatures expected to fall below that threshold Thursday night, Seminole and Orange counties will provide more beds tonight.
But when the National Weather Service issued a forecast of freezing “feels-like” temperatures Tuesday, with a wind chill of 25 to 30 degrees, some jurisdictions and nonprofits decided to act earlier this week.
That includes places like Matthew’s Hope in Winter Garden. The organization’s president and executive director, Shelley Bradford, said she felt compelled to address the growing need for housing and shelter.
“One night this week, it was 32 degrees in the “feels like” temperature. Last night, it was rainy and cold, and just going from my car to my house, I was freezing. So, I can't imagine sleeping in that,” Bradford said.
Opening before county shelters proved challenging, however, as Bradford said the organization found itself full to capacity as early as Tuesday night -- running out of beds, clothes, food, and space.
“We reached out on social media, and we've had people reach out,” she said.
According to Bradford, the Dream Center, Oasis Church, and Church at the Cross all offered to serve as overflow centers if necessary. She said donations rolled in including cash, warm clothing items, bedding, hot meals, and volunteers.
A tale of two temps
In Brevard County, Matthew’s Hope’s Cocoa location fared better, Bradford said, as other organizations were also opening their doors to people in need of a warm bed for the cold week. Many of these opened even though temperatures didn’t reach the threshold for emergency.
Several years ago, the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida got local nonprofits and governments to agree to provide shelter for unhoused people when temperatures drop. While these services activate at 32 degrees in most of the rest of the country, for Central Floridians used to muggier weather, the threshold was set at 40 degrees or lower.
CEO Martha Are said the protocols were set for actual temperatures, not the “feels-like” or wind-chill forecasts. However, she said factoring in things like wind chill to decide when to open is not a bad idea. She said communities can always do more.
“This is expensive, and we greatly appreciate everyone's cooperation. We also know that as things get colder, as the week moves on, there will be others who expand their capacity. That said, the threshold still leaves a lot of room for people without shelter and housing to suffer,” Are said.
According to Are, ultimately, the only answer is more affordable housing, but in the meantime, the needs of vulnerable people must be met.
“We need to do better as a region to provide a safety net. It won't be easy, and it won't be cheap, but it's the right thing to do,” she said.
Leaders of these homeless services nonprofits have said their biggest needs right now are money donations and volunteers.
People can lightly pack personal belongings, such as clothes, food, and family or medical needs, like prescriptions and baby items. (5771x4305, AR: 1.340534262485482)
Here’s a list of open shelters in Central Florida:
FLAGLER COUNTY – The Sheltering Tree is adding to this week’s openings, as overnight temperatures will hover around the mid-30s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The shelter operated at the Rock Transformation Center, formerly Church on the Rock, is not only for those experiencing homelessness but for anyone who is without heat.
The Rock Transformation Center is located at 2200 N. State Street. The cold-weather shelter will open at 5 p.m. and will close at 8 a.m. the following day. To reach the Sheltering Tree, call 386-437-3258.
Weather and heat safety preparedness tips from Flagler County Fire Rescue include:
VOLUSIA COUNTY – The Bridge at 421 South Palmetto Ave. in DeLand has been serving as a cold-weather shelter since Tuesday. Operated by The Neighborhood Center, the facility will welcome guests until Friday at 5:00 p.m., and they may remain until approximately 8 a.m. the next day, following breakfast.
For additional details, people can contact The Neighborhood Center at 386-734-8120, extension 601.
NORTH BREVARD – Partnering with LifePointe Ministries Inc., on 4220 South Hopkins Ave. in Titusville, Brevard has been providing services since Tuesday. Opening each night at 5 p.m. and serving dinner and breakfast.
The other Matthew’s Hope location, on 825 Forest Ave. in Cocoa, is also open, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH BREVARD – The Daily Bread and its community partners have opened the Joseph N. Davis Community Center, on 2547 S. Grant St. in Melbourne, as a cold-night weather shelter since Tuesday and will remain active Thursday night at 5:30 p.m., serving dinner. They will close at 8 a.m. Friday after breakfast.
People interested in volunteering can fill out this form.
ORANGE COUNTY – Matthew's Hope, on 611 Business Park Blvd. in Winter Garden, has been serving warm food, shelter, and beds 24/7 since last Sunday and will continue welcoming guests until this coming Sunday morning.
Their Mobile Teams and Transportation Buses have been spotted around Apopka, Winter Garden, Oakland, Ocoee, Dr. Phillips, Windermere, and southwest Orlando.
For more information, people can email Meals@MatthewsHopeMinistries.org or call 407.995.9500, extension 1.
OSCEOLA COUNTY – Emergency Management is looking for volunteers to help run a shelter on 2637 Fortune Road in Kissimmee on Thursday and Friday nights, from 5 to 9 p.m.
The project details and shifts until the location closes Saturday morning are as follows:
LAKE COUNTY – Nightly from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., the county has been serving people since Wednesday and will continue to welcome guests until Friday, closing Saturday morning. The location is at LifePointe Church, on 3551 East Orange Ave. in Eustis.
A warming station will also open every Thursday and Friday morning, from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., on 2605 South St. in Leesburg, to accommodate residents outside of shelter hours.
Lake County residents can text COLD to 888-777 to receive text updates about cold weather shelters and other related alerts. More information can be found on the county’s website.
MARION COUNTY – The Salvation Army – Center of Hope has a cold weather shelter open on 320 Northwest First Ave. in Ocala, for those seeking refuge from the bitter cold. Organization leaders said they encourage people to spread the word to whomever needs their services. Check-in time is at 6:00 p.m.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office issued an important message, warning residents of possible minor transportation impacts and ice on bridges, expecting nightly freezes through Saturday morning and early-day wind chills in the 20s.
There are no bridge closures at this time, and conditions are being monitored. First responders also advised that:
“If you are cold, so are they,” is a message from Seminole County officials to their residents. (6000x4000, AR: 1.5)
SEMINOLE COUNTY – Working with community partners, the county will activate emergency shelter procedures for Thursday and Friday at the Rescue Outreach Mission, on 1701 West 13th St. in Sanford. If ROM reaches capacity, cots, blankets, and meals will be provided at one the county’s non-profit or faith organization sites.
Spokeswoman Andy Wontor said in an email that the American Red Cross is notified in the event sheltering is needed for a major fire, power outage. An emergency shelter team will be activated in the event of a catastrophic electrical failure or HVAC/Heater malfunction.
The Florida Department of Health is notified in the event of a special needs client or someone with medical needs, and the Community Services Department is notified in the event that emergency hotel or lodging assistance is required.
Seminole County authorities reminded residents of pet protections during extreme cold weather conditions.
“If you are cold, so are they,” she said.
The office also reminded residents that it is unlawful to leave a dog outside without:
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
Typically, regional officials wait for temperatures to drop below 40 degrees before opening emergency shelters to serve people experiencing homelessness or lacking safe and adequate housing. With temperatures expected to fall below that threshold Thursday night, Seminole and Orange counties will provide more beds tonight.
But when the National Weather Service issued a forecast of freezing “feels-like” temperatures Tuesday, with a wind chill of 25 to 30 degrees, some jurisdictions and nonprofits decided to act earlier this week.
That includes places like Matthew’s Hope in Winter Garden. The organization’s president and executive director, Shelley Bradford, said she felt compelled to address the growing need for housing and shelter.
“One night this week, it was 32 degrees in the “feels like” temperature. Last night, it was rainy and cold, and just going from my car to my house, I was freezing. So, I can't imagine sleeping in that,” Bradford said.
Opening before county shelters proved challenging, however, as Bradford said the organization found itself full to capacity as early as Tuesday night -- running out of beds, clothes, food, and space.
“We reached out on social media, and we've had people reach out,” she said.
According to Bradford, the Dream Center, Oasis Church, and Church at the Cross all offered to serve as overflow centers if necessary. She said donations rolled in including cash, warm clothing items, bedding, hot meals, and volunteers.
A tale of two temps
In Brevard County, Matthew’s Hope’s Cocoa location fared better, Bradford said, as other organizations were also opening their doors to people in need of a warm bed for the cold week. Many of these opened even though temperatures didn’t reach the threshold for emergency.
Several years ago, the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida got local nonprofits and governments to agree to provide shelter for unhoused people when temperatures drop. While these services activate at 32 degrees in most of the rest of the country, for Central Floridians used to muggier weather, the threshold was set at 40 degrees or lower.
CEO Martha Are said the protocols were set for actual temperatures, not the “feels-like” or wind-chill forecasts. However, she said factoring in things like wind chill to decide when to open is not a bad idea. She said communities can always do more.
“This is expensive, and we greatly appreciate everyone's cooperation. We also know that as things get colder, as the week moves on, there will be others who expand their capacity. That said, the threshold still leaves a lot of room for people without shelter and housing to suffer,” Are said.
According to Are, ultimately, the only answer is more affordable housing, but in the meantime, the needs of vulnerable people must be met.
“We need to do better as a region to provide a safety net. It won't be easy, and it won't be cheap, but it's the right thing to do,” she said.
Leaders of these homeless services nonprofits have said their biggest needs right now are money donations and volunteers.
People can lightly pack personal belongings, such as clothes, food, and family or medical needs, like prescriptions and baby items. (5771x4305, AR: 1.340534262485482)
Here’s a list of open shelters in Central Florida:
FLAGLER COUNTY – The Sheltering Tree is adding to this week’s openings, as overnight temperatures will hover around the mid-30s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The shelter operated at the Rock Transformation Center, formerly Church on the Rock, is not only for those experiencing homelessness but for anyone who is without heat.
The Rock Transformation Center is located at 2200 N. State Street. The cold-weather shelter will open at 5 p.m. and will close at 8 a.m. the following day. To reach the Sheltering Tree, call 386-437-3258.
Weather and heat safety preparedness tips from Flagler County Fire Rescue include:
- Never use the oven to heat the home
- All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning
- Screen fireplaces to contain sparks
- Portable space heaters should be kept 3-feet away from anything that can burn
- Turn off portable heaters when leaving the room or going to bed
VOLUSIA COUNTY – The Bridge at 421 South Palmetto Ave. in DeLand has been serving as a cold-weather shelter since Tuesday. Operated by The Neighborhood Center, the facility will welcome guests until Friday at 5:00 p.m., and they may remain until approximately 8 a.m. the next day, following breakfast.
For additional details, people can contact The Neighborhood Center at 386-734-8120, extension 601.
NORTH BREVARD – Partnering with LifePointe Ministries Inc., on 4220 South Hopkins Ave. in Titusville, Brevard has been providing services since Tuesday. Opening each night at 5 p.m. and serving dinner and breakfast.
The other Matthew’s Hope location, on 825 Forest Ave. in Cocoa, is also open, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH BREVARD – The Daily Bread and its community partners have opened the Joseph N. Davis Community Center, on 2547 S. Grant St. in Melbourne, as a cold-night weather shelter since Tuesday and will remain active Thursday night at 5:30 p.m., serving dinner. They will close at 8 a.m. Friday after breakfast.
People interested in volunteering can fill out this form.
ORANGE COUNTY – Matthew's Hope, on 611 Business Park Blvd. in Winter Garden, has been serving warm food, shelter, and beds 24/7 since last Sunday and will continue welcoming guests until this coming Sunday morning.
Their Mobile Teams and Transportation Buses have been spotted around Apopka, Winter Garden, Oakland, Ocoee, Dr. Phillips, Windermere, and southwest Orlando.
For more information, people can email Meals@MatthewsHopeMinistries.org or call 407.995.9500, extension 1.
OSCEOLA COUNTY – Emergency Management is looking for volunteers to help run a shelter on 2637 Fortune Road in Kissimmee on Thursday and Friday nights, from 5 to 9 p.m.
The project details and shifts until the location closes Saturday morning are as follows:
- From 5 to 9 p.m., four volunteers help with check-in, dinner, and after-dinner clean-up.
- From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., two volunteers help monitor the shelter and take care of needs.
- From 1 to 5 a.m., two volunteers take the overnight watch shift.
- From 5 to 8 a.m., three volunteers do morning clean up and serve breakfast.
LAKE COUNTY – Nightly from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., the county has been serving people since Wednesday and will continue to welcome guests until Friday, closing Saturday morning. The location is at LifePointe Church, on 3551 East Orange Ave. in Eustis.
A warming station will also open every Thursday and Friday morning, from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., on 2605 South St. in Leesburg, to accommodate residents outside of shelter hours.
Lake County residents can text COLD to 888-777 to receive text updates about cold weather shelters and other related alerts. More information can be found on the county’s website.
MARION COUNTY – The Salvation Army – Center of Hope has a cold weather shelter open on 320 Northwest First Ave. in Ocala, for those seeking refuge from the bitter cold. Organization leaders said they encourage people to spread the word to whomever needs their services. Check-in time is at 6:00 p.m.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office issued an important message, warning residents of possible minor transportation impacts and ice on bridges, expecting nightly freezes through Saturday morning and early-day wind chills in the 20s.
There are no bridge closures at this time, and conditions are being monitored. First responders also advised that:
- People drive cautiously and leave early to allow more time for travel.
- Leave extra space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
- Ensure your vehicle is fueled in case of unexpected detours.
- Monitor tire pressure as temperatures drop.
- Avoid driving unless necessary.
“If you are cold, so are they,” is a message from Seminole County officials to their residents. (6000x4000, AR: 1.5)
SEMINOLE COUNTY – Working with community partners, the county will activate emergency shelter procedures for Thursday and Friday at the Rescue Outreach Mission, on 1701 West 13th St. in Sanford. If ROM reaches capacity, cots, blankets, and meals will be provided at one the county’s non-profit or faith organization sites.
Spokeswoman Andy Wontor said in an email that the American Red Cross is notified in the event sheltering is needed for a major fire, power outage. An emergency shelter team will be activated in the event of a catastrophic electrical failure or HVAC/Heater malfunction.
The Florida Department of Health is notified in the event of a special needs client or someone with medical needs, and the Community Services Department is notified in the event that emergency hotel or lodging assistance is required.
Seminole County authorities reminded residents of pet protections during extreme cold weather conditions.
“If you are cold, so are they,” she said.
The office also reminded residents that it is unlawful to leave a dog outside without:
- Adequate shelter to protect from extreme weather, including freezing temperatures.
- A safe, dry area where they can lie down, turn around, and stay warm.
- Access to water.
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.