Cold Weather Shelters Open in Escambia County Beginning Sunday, Jan. 19

With Escambia County expecting subfreezing temperatures beginning Sunday, Jan. 19, 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 24 hours, 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 4:30-6:30 p.m. (must leave by 7 a.m., with ECAT providing free transportation to Waterfront starting at 7 a.m.)
  • Open Sunday, Jan. 19 through Wednesday night (Jan. 22), 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.

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.

An ECAT bus transports individuals to shelter during extreme cold weather last year.