👤 Who: Okaloosa County Public Safety, community shelter partners, Patrick Maddox
🏠 What: Cold weather shelter openings
📅 When: Thursday night, January 15
📍 Where: Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, and Crestview
❄️ Why: To provide warmth and safety during dangerously cold temperatures
As cold temperatures settle across Northwest Florida, multiple cold-weather shelters will open on Thursday night across Okaloosa County to provide safe and warm accommodations for those in need.
According to Okaloosa County Director of Public Safety Patrick Maddox, shelters are operating through strategic community partners in both the southern and northern portions of the county. Officials caution that operating hours and eligibility requirements vary by location.
One Hopeful Place in Fort Walton Beach will open Thursday at 4 p.m. and will provide shelter for individuals 18 years of age and older. Bus transportation is available, with pickup beginning at 3:15 p.m. at 205 Shell Avenue. Two trips will be made, and participants will be transported back on Friday at 8 a.m.
Participants may bring backpacks and essential overnight items. Bicycles, wagons, and suitcases are not permitted on the bus, though accommodations are available to secure personal items and bicycles at the pickup location.
Generations Church in Niceville is also open Thursday night, with check-in available from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. This shelter is open to families with children and elderly individuals. Transportation is provided for single adults to One Hopeful Place.
In Crestview, the Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless will open Thursday at 6 p.m. to serve residents seeking relief from the cold.
County officials urge anyone in need of shelter during cold weather events to take advantage of these resources and to share the information with others who may be at risk.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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