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Cots are set up inside Westminster Hall at First Presbyterian Church. -
Bread of Life volunteers discuss logistics shortly after opening the cold weather shelter.
Cold weather shelters are open throughout Putnam County as temperatures are expected to plummet into the 20s tonight and Sunday.
By 7:30 p.m. today, there were eight homeless residents taking refuge inside Westminster Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Palatka. And more are expected to show up, officials said.
Volunteers from the church and the Bread of Life soup kitchen are staffing the shelter throughout the night and into the morning, and will do so again tomorrow night.
Volunteers are encouraging homeless residents to go to First Presbyterian or other shelters that are open. Lights-out at First Presbyterian will be 10 p.m., which is when officials plan to lock the doors for the evening.
Bread of Life officials Pastor Cliff Lyda and Kim Daley said the group decided to open the shelter because they saw an unmet need and wanted to make sure some of the county's most vulnerable people could make it through the night safely.
The list of cold weather shelters of which the Daily News is aware includes:
– Westminster Hall @ First Presbyterian Church, 126 S. Second St. in Palatka on today and Sunday from 7 p.m. - 7 a.m.
– Life Church, 2701 Reid St. in Palatka (across from McDonald’s), today and Sunday from 7 p.m. -7 a.m.
– South Putnam Church, 114 Amos Road in Crescent City. The shelter opened at 5 p.m. today and will be open until tomorrow morning.
If you know of any other shelter options this weekend, email logistics@putnam-fl.com.
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