TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Leon County Sheriff's Office is expanding their homeless outreach during cold weather, connecting residents with shelters and providing supplies.
- The Leon County Sheriff’s Office HOST team is on the streets connecting people experiencing homelessness to shelters and resources.
- Deputies offer blankets, beanies, and other supplies for those who choose not to go to a cold weather shelter.
- Watch the video below to hear from Deputy Pacchioli from the HOST team.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Deputy Paul Pacchioli, from the Leon County Sheriff's Office, Homeless Outreach Street Team said,
"That's all we do every day, is we go out and we try to find people connecting services."
I'm Justin White, your neighborhood reporter in Northeast Tallahassee.
As temperatures drop across Leon County, the Sheriff's Office is expanding its outreach to make sure people without a place to stay aren't left in the cold, connecting them with shelters or providing basic necessities.
"You know, we stay on cold weather calls all the time, so anything below 35° for three hours before sunrise, you know, that kind of activates a cold shelter. So we're continually telling people, 'Hey, it's going to be cold. You know, emergency shelters are open. Please go take them.' And that's what we're doing this week," said Deputy Pacchioli.
The Leon County Sheriff's Office Homeless Outreach Street Team, known as HOST, connects with people in need, especially during cold weather, helping those without a home find a place to go or providing basic necessities like beanies and blankets if they choose not to go to a cold-weather shelter.
"Do you need an extra blanket?" asked one deputy.
"For Meatball? Absolutely," replied James, who is living on the street at the moment.
And Meatball will be putting that to good use this week.
The HOST team will remain out through the night and into the rest of the week, urging people to get off the streets and into warm shelters as cold weather continues.
In Northeast Tallahassee, I'm Justin White ABC 27.
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