Lake County to activate cold weather shelters Dec. 1

With temperatures expected to drop tonight, Lake County will activate shelters for those vulnerable to cold weather.

LifePointe Church, located at 3551 E. Orange Ave. in Eustis, and Trinity Assembly of God, located at 200 Urick St. in Fruitland Park, will open for sheltering on Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7 a.m. Masks are required, and the Florida Department of Health will be conducting COVID-19 screening at each shelter as well as offering hepatitis A and flu vaccinations.

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 board LakeXpress and travel to one of the designated transfer centers listed below so that they arrive at or before the indicated pickup time. Lake County Connection, the County’s paratransit service, will then transport riders to cold weather sheltering.

• Citizens Transfer Center, located near 1321 Citizens Blvd. in Leesburg, with pick up at 5 p.m. and transport to Trinity Assembly of God.
• FDOT Park and Ride, located at 1995 U.S. Highway 27 in Clermont, with pick up at 5:20 p.m. and transport to LifePointe Church. LakeXpress driver will alert riders that cold weather shelter transportation has been dispatched for them, and they should stay at the bus pickup location inside the Park and Ride to await paratransit transportation.
• Ardice Transfer Center, located near 332 Ardice Ave. in Eustis, with pick up at 5:30 p.m. and transport to LifePointe Church.
• The Open Door, located at 115 Citrus Ave. in Eustis, with pick up between 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. (pick up occurs after the transfer center) and transport to LifePointe Church.

Lake County paratransit services will assist individuals needing transportation from the shelters on Wednesday morning. Individuals who require transportation from the LifePointe Church shelter on Wednesday morning between 6:45 a.m. and 7 a.m. will be taken to The Open Door in Eustis. The facility will open earlier than usual and will provide breakfast and customary access. Individuals requiring transportation from the Trinity Assembly of God shelter on Wednesday morning will be taken to either the Salvation Army or back to the Citizens Transfer Center in Leesburg. If riders elect to be taken back to the transfer center, they can alert the LakeXpress driver that they are returning home and may ride for free.

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.