Janelle Irwin Taylor
Pinellas County is opening cold night shelters at 5 p.m. Tuesday in anticipation of lows in the low 40s overnight.
The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in the low 40s overnight throughout the county, with the “feels like” temperature in some areas reaching even lower.
As part of the opening, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will provide free bus rides to shelters, which are open until 6 a.m. Wednesday. To receive a free ride, tell the PSTA bus driver you are going to a county cold night shelter when boarding to have the fare waived.
Shelter locations are as follows:
St. Petersburg
— Northwest Church located at 6330 54th Ave. N. It can be accessed from PSTA route No. 75.
— WestCare Turning Point located at 1801 5th Ave. N. It can be accessed from PSTA route No. 9.
— Unitarian Universalist Church located at 100 Mirror Lake Dr. N. It can be accessed from PSTA route Nos. 18, 23 and 100X.
— Salvation Army located at 1400 4th St. S. It can be accessed from PSTA route No. 4.
Clearwater
— First United Methodist Church located at 411 Turner St. It can be accessed from PSTA route No. 52.
Pinellas Park
— Boys and Girls Club located at 7790 61st St. N. It can be accessed from PSTA route No. 74
— First United Methodist Church located at 9025 49th St. N. It can be accessed from PSTA route No. 52.
Tarpon Springs
— Boys and Girls Club located at 111 W. Lime St. It can be accessed from PSTA route No. 19
Families looking for a shelter should contact 2-1-1
Pinellas County opens its cold night shelters when the “feels like” temperature drops below 40 degrees anytime from Nov. 15 through March 15.
Any rider denied a free fare to a cold night shelter should ask the driver to contact PSTA dispatch.
Hillsborough County opened its cold weather shelters on Monday night, and they will remain open through Thursday morning. They will accept guests until they reach capacity.
Its shelters are open, pending capacity, at:
— Church of God of Prophecy Hyde Park, located at 107 S. Oregon Avenue, Tampa.
— Hyde Park United Methodist Church, located at 500 W. Platt Street, Tampa.
— Tampa Bay Mission of Hope, located at 212 S. St. Cloud Avenue, Building A, Valrico.
— Amazing Love Ministries, located at 3304 E. Columbus Drive, Tampa.
Because space is limited and demand is expected to be high, the county is suggesting individuals who are unhoused or without adequate heating to use alternative resources when possible, such as staying with friends or family members.
Hillsborough shelters are also accepting donations of hats, gloves, scarves, socks and toiletries.
