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 coordinator -- 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 2011-2012 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 Debbie Infante at (727) 528-5768 or dinfante@pinellashomeless.org; or Clifford Smith at cesmith@co.pinellas.fl.us.
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Directory
2011-2012 Cold Night Shelters
ADULT MEN AND WOMEN
Clearwater
Primary Shelter
Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church
110 S. Ft. Harrison Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
Church Phone: 446-3001
Coordinators: Chris Bowers (727) 251-6691 (C); cbowers9@verizon.net
Capacity: 75
Back Up Shelter
St. Cecelia Catholic Church
820 Jasmine Way
Clearwater, FL 33756
Church Phone (727) 447-3494
Co-Coordinators: Dan Mettee (727) 798-0035 (C); dmettee1@verizon.net
Peter Gibson (727) 439-2040 (C); gibson2040@aol.com
Maximum Capacity: 45
Gulfport
Trinity Church of the Nazarene
1000 55th St. South
Gulfport, FL 33707
Church Phone: 321-1598
Co-Coordinators: Judy Ryan (727) 687-1233 (C)
Pastor: Denis Delus
Capacity: 20
Pinellas Park
Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast in Pinellas Park
7790 61st Street North
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
Phone: 574-5437
Coordinator: Kerm Carlberg (727) 647-1190 (C); kerm.carlberg@nbcstpete.com
Capacity: 250
NOTE: Transportation to and from this shelter and downtown St Petersburg will be provided by Boley, Inc.
Contact: John Greenwood, Transportation Coordinator (727) 637-3277 or
Mike Peter, Supervisor (727) 224-8386. A schedule of pick-up times will be provided prior to the start of
the Cold Night Shelter season.
St. Petersburg
Northwest Presbyterian Church
6330 54th Ave. North
St. Petersburg, FL 33706
Church Phone: 544-4551
Coordinator: Jim Leiby (727) 433-2115 (C); jfleiby@msn.com
Capacity: 75
Salvation Army
1400 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Coordinator: Luis Rosa (727) 822-4954 ext. 223
Night Manager: Karen Smith - contact person
Phone: (727) 224-5778
Capacity: 25
The Turning Point
1810 5th Ave. North
St Petersburg, FL 33713
Phones: (727) 641-1903 (C) or (727) 823-7811
Coordinator: Katrina Tucker; Katrina.tucker@westcare.com
Capacity: 25
Tarpon Springs
St. Timothy's Lutheran Church
812 E. Tarpon Avenue
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
Co-Coordinators: Henry & Benita Wellman (570) 460-1898 (C); hwellman@verizon.net
Mary Delasin (727) 479-2914 mzdelasin@yahoo.com
Capacity: 45
FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN
St. Petersburg
Families will be placed in motels on cold nights. Call one of the following family coordinators to make
arrangements for a family:
Clearwater: Lewis Hill (727) 644-4795; hill0635@aol.com
Back up: Dean Martin (727) 204-6849
St Petersburg/Pinellas Park: Jim Leiby (727) 433-2115
Tarpon Springs: Mary Delasin (727) 479-2914
NOTE: The Salvation Army Clearwater may be able to provide shelter to homeless families.
Please call Kip Corriveau @ (727) 446-6507 for availability of rooms.
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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 Debbie Infante at (727) 528-5768 or Cliff Smith at (727) 464-8448.
Cold Night Shelter Training Book 2010-2011
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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 times or more. Because we are expecting increased shelter utilization this winter, we need cash donations to purchase much-needed items such as mats, blankets, food, coffee and more. You may give your tax-deductible donations securely through our website by clicking here or you may mail your check, made payable to "PCCH" for "Cold Night Shelter" to: Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless, 5180 62nd Ave. N., Pinellas Park, Florida 33781.
Additionally, we need the following items for the Cold Night Shelters right now:
- Coffee, sandwiches, hot food for tonight and fruit and other breakfast items for the morning;
- Toiletries (new, unopened, personal-sized items such as soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, feminine products, shaving products, etc.);
- Paper goods (paper plates, paper towels, forks/spoons, toilet paper); and
- Warm socks, knit hats and gloves.
If you can help with any of these items, please take the donated items to any of the following locations:
- Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church, 110 S. Ft. Harrison Avenue, Clearwater (food and paper products only; drop off between 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays)
- St. Cecelia Catholic Church, 820 Jasmine Way, Clearwater
- Trinity Church of Nazarene, 1000 55th St. South, Gulfport (please call Judy Ryan to open the building, 727-239-1443)
- Northside Baptist Church, 6000 38th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, 727-381-3642
- Northwest Presbyterian Church, 6330 54th Ave. NorthSt. Petersburg
- Salvation Army, 1400 4th Street South, St. Petersburg
- The Turning Point, 1810 5th Ave. North, St. Petersburg.
Thank you!
