Cold Weather Shelters Open in Escambia County Jan. 19

With Escambia County expecting freezing temperatures Monday, Jan. 19, Waterfront Rescue Mission and My Father's Vineyard will open their doors for cold weather sheltering.

Anyone seeking relief from the cold can visit the following locations in Escambia County:

• Waterfront Rescue Mission
  • Men and women
  • Open 24 hours beginning Monday, Jan. 19 at 4:30 p.m. with expanded capacity and no charge during cold weather events.
  • 348 W. Herman Ave., Pensacola
• My Father's Vineyard
  • Men and women (no children)
  • Open Monday, Jan. 19
  • Intake is from 6-7:30 p.m. (must leave by 6:30 a.m., with ECAT providing free transportation to Waterfront starting at 6:30 a.m.)
  • 7895 Pensacola Blvd., Pensacola

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 Mission. ECAT will also provide transportation from Waterfront Rescue Mission for men and women seeking shelter at My Father's Vineyard, beginning Monday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m.

Waterfront will work with community partners to accommodate women with children seeking shelter. If no community partner is able to provide shelter, Waterfront will ensure that anyone seeking refuge from the cold will have a safe place to stay.

As part of Escambia 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.

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.