With temperatures expected to drop through Wednesday, Lake County has activated shelters for those vulnerable to cold weather.
Trinity Assembly of God, located at 200 Urick St. in Fruitland Park, will open all three nights from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following morning. LifePointe Church, located at 3551 E. Orange Ave. in Eustis, will only be open on the first two nights from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following morning. Masks are required at all cold weather sheltering locations.
LakeXpress, Lake County’s fixed route transportation service, will provide free transportation to riders who indicate they are traveling to a cold weather shelter. Riders should arrive before the indicated pick-up time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now also requires all riders of public busing systems to wear an appropriate face covering that covers both the nose and mouth for the duration of the ride. Bus drivers will provide face coverings for transit riders if needed.
The bus pickup time in Leesburg on the nights of Monday, Feb. 1 and Tuesday, Feb. 1 will be at 5 p.m. at the Citizens Transfer Center, located near 1321 Citizens Blvd. in Leesburg. Riders will board the Route 1A bus for transport to Trinity Assembly of God.
On the mornings of Tuesday, Feb. 2 and Wednesday, Feb. 3, from 7:10-7:20 a.m., the buses will transport those riders from Trinity Assembly of God in Fruitland Park back to the Citizens Transfer Center in Leesburg or the Salvation Army, located at 2605 South St. in Leesburg. Riders also can alert the driver that they are returning home from the cold weather shelter and may ride for free to their destination.
Lake County residents who anticipate the need to be sheltered at one of the churches and are unable to be picked up at one of the pre-designated locations during this multi-day event should call Lake County Connection at (352) 742-2612 by 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday or Wednesday to schedule a time and location for pick-up.
For more information about preparing for extreme cold weather events, visit www.floridadisaster.org/hazards/extreme-cold. Nonprofit and faith-based organizations that wish to offer sheltering assistance in the future should contact Lake County Emergency Management at (352) 343-9420.