Last Updated: March 18, 1:37 p.m.
The Sheltering Tree will open the Flagler County cold-weather shelter Tuesday night–March 19. The shelter opens only when the temperature falls below 40.
The shelter will open at its usual location, Church on the Rock, 2200 N State St, Bunnell, at 5:30 p.m. each evening. It will close the following day at 8 a.m. Guests, who may be homeless or who may simply need a heated place, as some homes in the county lack heat, will receive a hot dinner and a hot breakfast, free of charge.
The shelter is run entirely by a corps of Sheltering Tree volunteers, who operate in teams. Security is provided, as is overnight supervision and transportation, if needed. Though the shelter is hosted by Church on the Rock, the shelter operation itself is non-denominational, and open to people of all creeds, faiths or no faith. The Sheltering Tree is under the umbrella of the Flagler County Family Assistance Center, a non-profit established in 2011 to provide cold-weather sheltering during cold nights in Flagler County.
There are no permanent shelters for the homeless in the county. When the Volusia-Flagler Commission on Homelessness and Housing conducted its survey last year–a literal person-by-person count of the homeless by volunteers who fan out across the two counties in places known to be frequented by the homeless–it found a total of 65 people, a suspiciously low number.
Flagler County, Palm Coast and Bunnell jointly contribute up to $25,000 a year–or $1,000 per night–to defray the costs of the shelter, which include food, security, rent, and incidental supplies provided to those in need. The county also provides free transportation to those who need it.
The county will provide bus transportation along two routes, along this schedule:
- Dollar General at Publix Town Center, 3:30 p.m.
- Near the McDonald’s at Old Kings Road South and State Road 100, 4 p.m.
- Dollar Tree by Carrabba’s and Walmart, 4:30 p.m.
- Palm Coast Main Branch Library, 4:45 p.m.
- Dollar General at County Road 305 and Canal Avenue in Daytona North, 4 p.m.
- Bunnell Free Clinic, 4:30 p.m.
- First United Methodist Church in Bunnell, 4:30 p.m.
Call 386-437-3258, extension 105 for information about transportation to the shelter, or for information about the shelter itself.
pete says
Please 65 come on
MeToo says
There’s more than that in one city in Volusia. Don’t let the same people count votes!
Endless dark money says
So they don’t arrest them yet or is that coming after they stay at shelter for one night? Only gop criminalize homeless so if you are homeless don’t trust an rcon they do not want to help you. Your more profitable to them in jail.
rich L Santomassino says
What?
TR says
Endless dark money: I’m with rich L Santomassino, What the hell are you saying????
Endless dark money says
Across the US republican controlled states are making homelessness a crime. Sleeping on public property is now a crime. So they are imprisioned since they have no money. GoP also propsed a bill to withhold funds intended to go to help homeless people. So just normal republican crimes against humanity nothing too new here.
Denali says
You are leaving out the most important part: The confinement facilities the homeless folks end up in are privately run facilities owned by, guess who? You would be correct if you said big time GOP supporters.
TR says
This commenter is a copy of the me the original TR who posts on here. Been here for years and would appreciate it if you would change your username. Surprised FL allows more than one person to use the same user name.