Cold Night Shelters
Overview
The Cold Night Shelter Program is a direct service of the Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless. The Executive Director, the Cold Night Shelter Committee and the program's two coordinators - Michael Amidei and Clifford Smith -- work together to continue this program's twenty years of successful service to those in need.
Staffed exclusively by volunteers, the Cold Night Shelter Program operates between November 15 and March 15, on nights the temperature is forecasted to fall to 40 degrees or lower. Churches, community centers and other facilities are used to provide safe, warm overnight shelter, and, whenever possible, a hot meal, for people living on the streets.
Shelter sites are selected on the basis of their commitment to this program's success, location, willingness to coordinate the necessary volunteers, financial support of their individual shelter, available space, and amenities (e.g. bathrooms, showers, etc.). Many congregations offer their facilities to meet this need. The congregations whose facilities may not meet eligibility requirements may still participate in the program by providing volunteers, donating food and supplies or by transporting homeless people to the shelters.
Specific shelter responsibilities and requirements include:
- Making a commitment to participate in the Cold Night Shelter Program for the 2009-2010 winter season by providing space, volunteers, supplies, etc., opening when the Coalition activates the program. Although the coalition has no source of income to assume costs of the program, monies have been donated by public-minded citizens in the past. These monies will continue to be shared amongst the participating shelters.
- Designating a shelter coordinator and assistant shelter coordinator. These may be the same individuals who actually manage the shelter.
- Assuring appropriate access to the site facilities by the shelter coordinator and/or the assistant shelter coordinator, so that activation of the shelter plan can be accomplished with ease when a shelter alert is declared.
- Assuring that shelter staff are familiar with the building, fire extinguishers, exits, etc.
- Reviewing their insurance plans to clarify whether or not current policies sufficiently cover activities such as overnight use of the facility as an emergency shelter.
- Assuring access to a telephone, heating controls, bathrooms.
- Assuring that volunteers maintain a nonjudgmental attitude towards guests housed for the night.
- Participating in Coalition data gathering activities to determine the extent of homelessness in the county. Data gathering will be held to a minimum.
To volunteer or receive further information, please contact Michael Amidei at (727) 543-2600 or Clifford Smith at cesmith@co.pinellas.fl.us.
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Directory
2009-2010 Cold Night Shelters
ADULT MEN AND WOMEN
Clearwater
St. Cecelia Catholic Church
820 Jasmine Way
Clearwater, FL 33756
Coordinator: Janet and John Timony
Church phone: 447-3494
Maximum Capacity: 45
Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church (Back-up Shelter Only)
110 S. Ft. Harrison Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
Coordinator: Doug White
Phone: 585-9828 (H) or (813) 267-8122 (C)
Capacity: 75
Pinellas Park
Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast in Pinellas Park
7790 61st Street North
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
Phone: 547-5437
Coordinator: Jim Leiby
Maximum Capacity: 300
St. Petersburg
Salvation Army
1400 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Coordinator: Rodney Basehore / Night Manager: Karen Smith
Phone: 822-4954 ext. 227 or 224-5778 / 687-8414
Maximum Capacity: 25
The Turning Point
1801 5th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
Coordinator: Katrina Tucker
Phone: 823-7811
Maximum Capacity: 25
Tarpon Springs
St. Timothy Lutheran Church
812 E. Tarpon Ave.
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
Coordinator: Benita and Henry Wellman
Church Phone: 937-3503
Maximum Capacity: 50
FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN
St. Petersburg
American Church of the Beatitudes
2812 8th Street North
St Petersburg, FL 33704
Coordinator: J. Philip Miller-Evans
Phone: 898-7178 (church office) or 776-6440 (C)
Capacity: 4 families
First United Methodist Church of Clearwater
411 Turner Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
Coordinator: Lewis Hill
Phone: 446-5955
Capacity: 2 families
Northside Baptist Church
6000 38th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
Church Phone: 381-3642
Coordinator: Kerm Calberg
Maximum Capacity: 10 families
Northwest Presbyterian Church
6330 54th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33709
Church Phone: 544-4551
Coordinator: Jim Leiby
Maximum Capacity: 4 families
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Volunteers
The Cold Night Shelters need volunteers to operate, especially when shelters are open on consecutive nights or frequently throughout one winter season. Volunteers are needed to staff shelters, serve as navigators and donate food (e.g. sandwiches, fruit, hot meals, soft drinks or coffee). Volunteers may sign up for as little as a two-hour shift between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Those volunteers serving as navigators work a two-hour shift in the early evening, to connect with the people coming to the shelter and share with them community resources they may utilize for longer-term assistance. If you or someone you know can contribute time or food, please click here to complete our VIP form online. For more information, please contact Michael Amidei at (727) 543-2600 or Cliff Smith at (727) 464-8448.
Cold Night Shelter Training Book 2009-2010
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Donations
Each winter, we expect to be open about 8 nights. An unusually cold winter may require us to open 10 - 12 time or more. Because we are expecting increased shelter utilization this winter, we will need the following items for the Cold Night Shelters right now:
- Cash donations to purchase needed items (mats, blankets, cooking utensils, coffee pots, etc.);
- Coffee, sandwiches, hot food for tonight and fruit and other breakfast items for the morning;
- Paper goods (paper plates, paper towels, forks/spoons, toilet paper); and
- Knit hats and gloves.
If you can help with any of these items, please call Michael Amidei at (727) 543-2600 (cell) as soon as possible so he can direct you to the shelter most in need of your time and/or donations. Thank you!
