With temperatures expected to drop over the holiday weekend, Lake County plans to activate shelters for those vulnerable to cold weather. The shelters will be accepting residents on Friday, Dec. 23 at 5:30 p.m. and will stay open through Monday, Dec. 26.
The county will open two cold-weather shelter locations:
· Trinity Assembly of God (200 Urick Street, Fruitland Park)
o Open 24 hours a day
· LifePointe Church (3551 E. Orange Avenue, Eustis)
o Open from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
An additional Salvation Army warming shelter (2605 South Street, Leesburg) will be open for residents during the day. The warming shelter will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday through Monday.
LakeXpress, Lake County’s fixed route transportation service, will provide free transportation to riders who need assistance traveling to a cold weather shelter. The shelter route schedule will be published before Friday to ensure those who need the bus system can plan appropriately. The schedule will be available on the County’s social media pages and website.
Residents who do not have access to the LakeXpress fixed route bus service or the pickup locations listed below and need transportation to travel to a cold weather shelter on Saturday or Sunday must call Lake County Connection at (352) 742-2612 by 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23 to arrange transportation.
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.
