Two churches will open their door as a shelter for some nights this week to bring the homeless in from the overnight cold weather.
The First Presbyterian Church of Apopka will open the shelter and breakfast on Tuesday, January 7, and Wednesday, January 8, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the church building, 500 S. Highland Ave., Apopka. Dinner and breakfast will be provided.
According to Pastor David Schorejs of the First Baptist Church of Apopka, One Family Church is working on Thursday night, January 9, in case the cold weather shelter is needed for an extra night. Dinner will also be provided that night. One Family Church is a partner of First Presbyterian Church.
“I have had conversations with the Mayor (Bryan Nelson) concerning the upcoming Cold Weather First Presbyterian Church of Apopka/One Family Church has tentatively agreed to open their doors for shelter on necessary evenings. This will be for anyone who is without shelter or without heat,” Schorejs wrote in a Sunday, January 5, email.
Schorejs said in an interview with The Apopka Chief that whether the churches will open cold weather shelters next week will depend on the weather.
“If it looks like it’s going to get back down near freezing next week too, we will certainly work on doing the same thing next week,” Schorejs said.
In a Monday, January 6 email, community advocate Dr. Phillis Olmstead expressed her support for the cold weather shelter that was being set up at the First Presbyterian Church.
“This has been a long time coming and I was grateful for my in person conversation with Rev Melo [of One Family Church] and his love for his neighbors and eagerness [and] willingness to welcome them into his home with a smile on his face! This congregation and its pastor is a great asset to our community,” she wrote.
In her email, she also made the following recommendation: “I would like to suggest that since many of our local residents with that limited heat and clothing are often limited in nutrition and medical access, if we could have a person with medical credentials volunteer, it would be a phenomenal advantage to the population.”
To volunteer for a shift at the shelter or to donate food, email Schorejs at dndschorejs@gmail.com or text 407-334-5786.
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.
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