ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — As temperatures prepare to nosedive Wednesday night, Orange County is reopening warming shelters so the area’s most vulnerable can escape the cold.
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The county is opening two temporary shelters located at the South Econ Recreation Center Gym and the Barnett Park Recreation Center Gym.
But some advocates say there’s a dire need for warming shelters in what they’ve called an “epicenter” for the vulnerable in far East Orange County.
“I’ve fallen short in convincing emergency managers to put the shelters for hurricanes, heat or cooling in the right place. And that’s right here in the epicenter of where there’s thousands and thousands of folks that don’t have access to adequate heat,” said Tim McKinney, the CEO of United Global Outreach.
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McKinney’s organization works with low-income families and the homeless in Bithlo.
He said in practice, the options for those in Far-East Orange County are limited.
He told Channel 9 that warming centers are needed not only for the homeless but also for other communities, including families living in manufactured homes, campers, cars, or trailers.
“For our unsheltered friends and those that live in trailers without adequate insulation and even the ability to heat the trailer… there are zero options for them here in far East Orange County,” said Tim McKinney, the CEO of United Global Outreach.
He said the current Orange County shelters are too far away year-round for those in Bithlo.
Even as two temporary warming centers are opening, the closest weather refuge for folks in Bithlo or Christmas is the South Econ Recreation Center Gym, which is several miles and at least two Lynx buses away.
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“That might as well be Timbuktu from Bithlo,” said McKinney.
McKinney has been a longtime advocate for bringing an open-access shelter to East Orange County.
For the last year, Orange County has said improving shelter bed capacity has been a priority.
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According to the 2024 point-in-time count, Orange County is short at least 759 shelter beds.
“We bundle up together. And that’s really the only options we have for surviving,” said one woman experiencing homelessness, “by the time you get down to Orlando, those (shelters) are full.”
You can find more information about Orange County’s Warming Center locations below:
Orange County Warming Center Locations:
South Econ Recreation Center Gym (Adjacent to the Renaissance Senior Center)
- Adrees: 3800 S Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, FL 32829
- Opens nightly at 5:00 p.m. and closes promptly the following morning at 8:00 a.m.
Barnett Park Recreation Center Gym
- Address: 4801 W Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808
- Opens nightly at 5:00 p.m. and closes promptly the following morning at 8:00 a.m.
Transportation
Regional LYNX buses will provide free rides for individuals seeking transportation to the HSN shelters listed below. Riders must let the LYNX driver know that they need shelter. The LYNX driver will transport those in need to the nearest HSN shelter location.
Orange County Homeless Shelters:
Coalition for the Homeless
- Address: 18 N Terry Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
The Salvation Army Orlando (Men Only)
- Address: 624 Lexington Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
Orlando Union Rescue Mission
- Address: 3300 West Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32805
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