CLEARWATER, Fla. — An all -out effort was made Friday to get homeless people off the street and into someplace safe and warm as cold temperatures were forecast to plunge below 40 degrees. Shelters across the Tampa Bay area stepped up to take them in.

On Christmas Day, Cold Night Shelters Co-coordinator Lauren Wolf stepped away from her family to help those without one. Overnight temperatures were the coldest it has been in this area on Christmas Day in 20 years.

“It has caused us an immense amount of trouble in trying to make sure that we are fully staffed and we have everything that’s needed to make sure people are safe and warm,” Wolf said.

The global COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t helped. 

“We don’t know that we have enough space for everyone, which is terrifying, and in the 35 years we’ve been operating, we’ve never turned anyone away,” Wolf said.

Social-distancing guidelines require shelters to bring in only up to half of their normal capacity. 

Michael Blue, deacon with Peace Memorial Church, also prepared to shelter homeless people looking to come in out of the cold by making sure their temperatures were normal and trying to ensure they were not infected with COVID-19. 

“Due to the COVID, we have all inside operations closed down, and we’re just trying to find different locations now,” Blue said.

Workers planned to be at the shelters as long as the need exists. They also asked for the public’s help, through donations of food, money, clothing, and warm blankets.

The Homeless Leadership Alliance is still in need of volunteers this weekend.

The group is also accepting monetary donations.

To help them out contact Wolf at (727) 754-3927 or Cliff Smith at (727) 698-1809.

Pinellas Homeless Shelters

The Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas County planned to open cold weather shelters the nights of Friday, December 25 and Saturday, December 26 because of forecasted low temperatures. The following shelters will be available to adult men and women from approximately 7 p.m. Eastern Time until the following morning at 6 a.m.:

CLEARWATER
MLK Jr Neighborhood Center
1201 Douglas Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
(813) 951-5632
Note: This shelter opens at 8 p.m.

PINELLAS PARK
Boy and Girls Club of the Suncoast in Pinellas Park
7709 61st Street N.
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
(727) 547-5437

ST. PETERSBURG
Northwest Presbyterian Church
6330 54th Avenue N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33706
(727) 544-4551

The Turning Point
1810 5th Avenue N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
(727) 823-7811

Salvation Army
1400 4th Street S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33705
(727) 822-4954

Tarpon Springs
Boys and Girls Club of Tarpon Springs
111 W. Lime Street
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
(727) 937-6837

Families with children will be placed in family shelters on cold nights. Families should call 2-1-1, Tampa Bay Cares, Inc., for information about family shelters.