A cold front will descend on Tampa Bay this Christmas weekend, and several shelters are planned to open for those in need.

Temperatures are forecasted to be near or at freezing temperatures in much of the area. Prolonged exposure to such conditions can be dangerous, and even fatal in certain cases. Here’s where locals can find somewhere warm to stay.

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough’s cold weather shelters will open from Dec. 23-25, for the homeless and for those who live in homes without adequate heat, who are unable to find other places to stay.

All shelters will accept guests from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., unless they reach capacity prior to that time. Shelter organizers are expecting high demand with limited capacity this season, so residents who need a warm place to stay are encouraged to use resources such as friends and family as a first option, the county said in a press release

The county is partnering with the following organizations to provide limited-capacity shelters for adults.

Amazing Love Ministries 3304 E Columbus Dr., Tampa 33602
Church of God of Prophecy Hyde Park 107 S Oregon Ave., Tampa 33606
Greater New Hope Church Anointed Ministries (Prayer Retreat Center) 2104 Mud Lake Rd., Plant City, 33566
Homeless Helping Homeless 801 E Saint Clair St., Tampa, 33602
Homeless Helping Homeless: 3008 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa, 33602
Hyde Park United Methodist Church 500 W Platt St., Tampa, 33606
New Life Church in Tampa (pet friendly) 8216 N 13th St. Tampa, 33604
Tampa Bay Mission of Hope 212 St. Cloud Ave. Building A, Valrico, 33594

All congregate shelters are reserved for adults only. Metropolitan Ministries and Generations Renewed are supplying a limited number of single-night motel vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis for families with children. Pre-registration is required by calling the numbers below. Phone lines turn on at 9 a.m., and the deadline to call is 5 p.m.

Families in the Tampa area can call (813) 209-1176. Families in the Plant City area should call (813) 562-4495.

Organizations interested in hosting a cold weather shelter this season can contact Julie Watkinson, Community Relations Coordinator, at watkinsonJ@hcflgov.net for more information.

Pinellas County

The following shelters will be open Dec. 23-25 from 6 p.m.-6 a.m.

The Salvation Army 1400 4th St. S, St. Petersburg (open from 6 p.m.-7:30 a.m.)
Northwest Church 6330 54th Ave. N, St. Petersburg
WestCare Turning Point 1810 5th Ave. N, St. Petersburg
Unitarian Universalist Church 100 Mirror Lake Dr. N, St. Petersburg
Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast 111 W Lime St., Tarpon Springs
First United Methodist Church 411 Turner St., Clearwater
The Refuge Outreach Church 606 Alden Ave., Clearwater
Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast 7790 61st St. N, Pinellas Park

The county is looking for volunteers to run the cold weather shelters.

Pasco County

Shelters will be open Dec. 23-25 in Pasco, but with limited space.

Those in need are encouraged to contact the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County at 727-842-8605, and select the Cold Weather Sheltering option, Ext. 2.

Polk County

A representative from a Polk County information line said they had not heard of any shelters being opened as of yet.

This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2022.