With a Cold Weather Advisory in effect for Escambia County early this week, several cold weather shelters are opening their doors to provide relief from frigid temperatures.
The following shelters will be open in Escambia County as part of the county’s cold weather sheltering plan:
Waterfront Rescue Mission
Men and women
Open daily, with expanded capacity and no charge during cold weather events
348 W. Herman St., Pensacola
REAP Max-Well Respite Center
Women with children
Open daily, with expanded capacity during cold weather events
Intake is from 4-6 p.m. (after 6 p.m. if accompanied by law enforcement)
2200 N. Palafox St., Pensacola
My Father’s Vineyard
Men and women (no children)
Intake is from 6-7 p.m. (must leave by 7 a.m., with ECAT providing free transportation to Waterfront starting at 7 a.m.)
Open tonight (Monday, Jan. 6) through Wednesday night (Jan. 8), with operations continuing if temperatures continue to be 32 degrees or below
7895 Pensacola Blvd., Pensacola
Escambia County Emergency Management works with these community partners to coordinate cold weather sheltering for individuals in need, providing shelter for hundreds of people since the cold weather sheltering plan was established in 2023.
Additionally, Escambia County Area Transit will provide free transportation between My Father’s Vineyard and Waterfront Rescue Mission, which allows those seeking shelter to easily travel between the overnight shelter at the church and the designated warming center at Waterfront Rescue.
Through the county’s cold weather sheltering plan, Waterfront Rescue Mission is the central receiving point for anyone in need of emergency shelter when the temperature drops to 40 degrees or less. Waterfront then coordinates with other partner agencies to ensure anyone needing cold weather shelter can be accommodated.
“We truly appreciate these partnerships as we make every effort to provide shelter to those in our community who need protection from the cold,” Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins said. “Thank you to Waterfront, REAP, ECAT, My Father’s Vineyard and all of our partner agencies who work together to make this possible. I encourage anyone in need of shelter to take advantage of these services and make sure they protect themselves from the dangers that come with extreme cold.”
Escambia County shares information about cold weather shelter openings on the MyEscambia.com website and county social media channels, including the Escambia County Emergency Management Facebook page. To sign up to receive email alerts from Escambia County, visit MyEscambia.com and click the “subscribe” icon.
For cold weather safety tips, visit the Escambia County website.