Jacob Chapel Open Doors to Homeless During Winter

A temporary cold night shelter opened up Friday in the Tallahassee area.

StarMetro officials will arrange for transportation to the cold-night shelter at Jacob Chapel Baptist Church for males in need of shelter from low temperatures.

Alisha Ross, a fourth-year theatre performance student at Florida A&M University expressed that Jacob Chapel is doing what other churches are not doing.

“I’m from Miami and we experience a lot of hurricane weather and our local churches and black owned businesses don’t really open up their door during the inclement weather,” Ross expressed.  “I think it’s a great thing that Jacob Chapel is allotting the men of Tallahassee a place to go when the temperature gets to be ridiculously cold.”

With temperatures reaching below 35 degrees citizens of Tallahassee are elated for the interest in the well-being of the males in the community.

Jamie Clinton, a third-year political science student at Florida State University appreciate that the men in the community are getting taking care of, and that he hope to see consistency with the program.

“I’m glad to see the men of our community finally being considered in matters like these, I hope the shelter becomes a permanent winter facility,” Clinton said. “All of my years here in Tallahassee I’ve seen winter come and go, and I’ve watched people stand outside and have nowhere to go.”

Volunteers from the local faith-based community will provide assistance at the Jacob Chapel location, and security will be maintained by staff from The Shelter.

Clinton goes on to say she hopes to see the shelter become something not only at one location.

Margaret Davis, a member and coordinator assistant for the cold night shelter at Jacob Chapel Baptist church explained that the mens should register.

“The City of Tallahassee is a partner of ours whom the men can also contact to register for the shelter,” Davis said. “The males can stop by the shelter for a meal before being transported to our facility on the abrasively cold nights.”

Adult males should pre-register for transportation by 6:45 p.m., the shelter will remain open from 9 p.m.-7 a.m.

For more information or for volunteer opportunities at the temporary shelter location, including donations of food, towels, other supplies and funding, you can call The Shelter at (850) 224-8448 or 2-1-1 Big Bend by dialing 2-1-1 or (850) 617-6333.