Ahead of temperatures that could drop into the 30s in Osceola County Tuesday night, First United Methodist Church of St. Cloud will open at 5 p.m. as a cold weather shelter for those experiencing homelessness.
Following established community protocols for when temperatures are predicted to fall below 40 degrees, the church at 1000 Ohio Avenue in St. Cloud will open to provide a nighttime refuge out of the cold, community officials said.
Those needing transportation to First United Methodist Church of St. Cloud can travel at no cost using LYNX buses by alerting drivers that they will be going to the cold weather shelter.
Pets are housed at Osceola Animal Services during the operation, officials said, any animals will need to be in a carrier before they board, unless they are service dog.
Osceola’s cold weather shelter collaboration program is coordinated by the Osceola County Office of Emergency Management with participation from the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud, as well as LYNX, the Hope Partnership, the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, the Osceola Council on Aging, the Salvation Army, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and other members of the faith-based/non-profit community. Residents can sign up for system alerts on their phones by texting ‘coldweather’ to 888777.
