Concern over cold weather shelters in North Port and Sarasota, but nothing in the Venice area
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
On Jan 30, 2022, at 11:16 AM, John Holic wrote:
Dear Venice City Council Members,
I may have missed it, if so, I apologize for taking up your time as I checked online, viewed the local news, and checked the City of Venice Home Page for local cold weather shelters and could only find replications of what is on the Venice home page:
- In South County, a cold weather shelter will open at 100 Church, 14525 Tamiami Trail, North Port, on Saturday, Jan. 29, and Sunday, Jan. 30, opening at 5 p.m. both days and closing the following mornings. (This location is 16 miles from Venice City Hall – 26 minute drive and over a 5-hour walk).
- The Salvation Army – Center of Hope, 1400 10th St., Sarasota, will conduct their normal cold weather operation plan Saturday, Jan. 29, with intake beginning at 7 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and breakfast will be served at 5:30 a.m. (This location is almost 20 miles from Venice City Hall – about a half hour drive and over a 6-hour walk).
Perhaps I missed your emails of outrage or at least of requests to County Commissioners that Sarasota County Emergency Management stop overlooking the citizens of mid county in providing lifesaving emergency services. Much like the county’s lack of respect for the citizens of mid county in their failure to provide Hurricane Shelters in mid county, the same County Emergency Management department did not respect the homeless of mid county by providing a cold weather shelter. Nokomis, Venice, and Englewood don’t even exist as far as the county is concerned, which is surprising as I have copied the commissioners who live in each of those areas. Fortunately, North Port is finally recognized by the county, not because they particularly want to, but because its size can no longer be ignored.
I am hoping that at least one member of city council will call a commissioner and appeal to him or her to stop neglecting mid county and open a cold weather shelter for our homeless population. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
John Holic
Sarasota County to provide cold weather shelters this weekend
