As the temperatures dropped sharply last weekend and into this week, Apopka residents banded together to stay warm. 

“The thing I’m most impressed by is the community outpouring,” said John Fisher, pastor of First Methodist Church Apopka. His church, in conjunction with the city of Apopka, opened as a cold weather shelter Saturday and Sunday nights. 

Fisher said community members surprised the shelter with a great deal of food, including pork ribs and a tray of macaroni and cheese. He also appreciated the volunteers outside of the First Methodist congregation who arrived to work. 

“People from Renewal Church came and stayed until midnight, maybe a little after,” Fisher said. 

Temperatures began rising slightly on Monday, so the city does not plan to open any more shelters this week, according to Mayor Bryan Nelson. However, Duke Energy did encourage customers to conserve energy from 5 to 9 a.m. Monday morning. 

“We know power is an essential part of our customers’ everyday lives, and we recognize that reducing electricity usage isn’t an easy ask,” Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, said in a Sunday Duke Energy news release. “We appreciate our customers’ cooperation and understanding as we work to continue providing safe, reliable service for our more than 2 million customers during this cold spell.” 

The company suggested ways customers can lower their energy use in the news release. Recommended ways are reducing the thermostat, avoiding appliance use between the recommended times, shutting off unnecessary devices, and, for electric vehiclesowners, charging their vehicles midday when demand is lower.  

Apopka area residents who spoke to The Apopka Chief that the cold weather did not substantially impact them, and the Apopka Police Department recorded no cold weather-related distress calls over the weekend.  

However, Matthew’s Hope founder Scott Billue told the Chief that the unprecedented weather has caused his homeless ministry to use a week’s worth of supplies every day and a half. 

“We are literally hemorrhaging money,” Billue said.  

Matthew’s Hope provides sleeper buses for those experiencing homelessness and has two outreach centers located in Winter Garden and Cocoa, although Apopka is the ministry’s “biggest single market.” Billue said Matthew’s Hope opens its outreach centers as cold weather shelters when the wind chill factor is 39 degrees or below for at least two days in a row. 

“The first day, your body is doing okay,” Billue said. “The second day, your body starts to dehydrate.” 

This winter, the Matthew’s Hope outreach centers have opened as cold weather shelters at various times since November. Billue said he has never seen cold weather so persistent since founding Matthew’s Hope in 2010.  

“Any place that we have floor space, we have cots,” Billue said of the Winter Garden center. “We’ve outgrown our facility.” 

Billue appreciates the community’s provision of bedding and food, though he said the ministry urgently needs financial support.