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Resurrection House helps the unhoused find relief during dangerous heat

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – As a brutal heat wave continues across the Suncoast, one Sarasota organization is making sure people experiencing homelessness have a place to escape the soaring temperatures.

For many residents, finding relief from the heat is as simple as stepping into an air-conditioned building or grabbing a cold glass of water.

But for people living on the streets, those basic comforts aren’t always available.

At Resurrection House, staff say that reality becomes even more dangerous during periods of extreme heat. “We’re seeing temperatures and humidity that are especially hard on people living outdoors,” said Joe Lucero, operations manager at Resurrection House. “This temperature is exacerbated by the fact that these folks are living out there in the street, and the temperature and the humidity really strike a poor note with these folks.”

Resurrection House serves as a day resource center for people experiencing housing insecurity by offering meals, showers, laundry facilities, clean clothing and other essential services. During heat advisories, those resources can also provide a safe place to cool down and reduce the risk of heat-related illness. Lucero said unhoused individuals face challenges that extend beyond the heat itself. “There’s so many things that they have to deal with when the weather gets that hot,” Lucero said. “Beside the weather, it’s the critters that are out and about, other people that are out and about, and it’s just unsafe and it’s unhealthy.”

Staff say they work to ensure guests have access to air conditioning, cold drinking water and a place to rest when temperatures become dangerous. “Bathroom, cold drink, and just try and get them as comfortable as we can,” Lucero said.

That work is made possible in part by volunteers like Larry Buchanan, who recently moved to the Suncoast from North Carolina and has spent the last two months serving guests at the center. “I just want to be here to give them a smile and a kind face, a kind word, and to let them know they matter,” Buchanan said.

As the summer heat continues, Resurrection House says even small acts of kindness — a cold drink, a shaded place to rest or a welcoming smile — can make a meaningful difference for someone facing extreme temperatures without shelter.

Resurrection House says it is always looking for volunteers and donations of items including bottled water, hygiene products and clothing to support people experiencing homelessness.

More information about volunteering, donating or the services offered by Resurrection House is available on the organization’s website: https://rhsrq.org/

COLD SNAP REVEALS GENEROSITY — AND GAPS — IN SARASOTA’S HOMELESSNESS SERVICES

During a recent record-breaking cold snap that saw temperatures plummet below freezing on some nights, Sarasota’s homeless population faced life-or-death decisions unheard of this far south in the Sunshine State.

Joe Reuth, executive director of local nonprofit Resurrection House, was there at 5 a.m. on those cold mornings, opening over three hours earlier than usual to ensure people were showered, fed and dressed for the cold.

“Compassion and caring is essential, especially in the cold weather,” Reuth said. “It’s the difference between life or death. When they come into our day center, they’re literally cold to the bones, shaking, definitely in need of warmth and a hot beverage, and that’s what we provide.”

The dangerously cold weather began in January when an Arctic air mass pushed deep into Florida, sending overnight temperatures across the Suncoast into the low 30s. Wind chills made it feel even colder — in the 20s at times — and scattered snow flurries were reported in parts of the region.

In a place where average January and February lows hover in the mid-50s and freeze warnings are uncommon, multiple nights near or below freezing marked one of the most unusual stretches of winter in recent memory and posed acute danger for people living outdoors.

Those bone-chilling temperatures may be waning, but the struggles faced by people experiencing homelessness won’t melt away with them.

Longboat, Sarasota organizations join together to aid homeless

Financial challenges can overwhelm anyone, and when they do, one Sarasota-based day center is there to help people get back up on their feet.

Joe Reuth, who joined Resurrection House as the new executive director in June, spoke to members of Longboat Island Chapel for the latest Gather and Give charity drive on Sept. 16.

The multi-denominational group helps people, particularly those who are homeless, get the resources they need, be it a hot shower, fresh clothes, food or similar support.

“We are a community effort at Resurrection House, and we rely on all of you in order to take care of people in the margins,” he said.

Reuth said residents may be surprised to learn that a quarter of the people Resurrection House helps are 60 years or older and homeless.

“We had a lady come in the other day who was 77 years old, and she’s sleeping on the streets,” he said.

He explained, “We have people who are ‘working poor,’ who don’t make enough money to live on. A lot of people are living off of social security or disability, which is bringing in about $1,200 to $1,300 a month. That is not enough for them to survive in Sarasota or Longboat Key.”

In a Rapidly Changing Rosemary District, Resurrection House Remains Committed to Helping People Without a Place to Live

Nowhere, perhaps, is the widening economic divide in Sarasota more apparent than in the Rosemary District, just north of downtown. What has been for decades a quirky and somewhat artsy urban neighborhood has begun to change in recent years, with new luxury condominiums seemingly popping up on every corner. But at the same time, ever since 2003, when the Salvation Army shelter opened on 10th Street at the district’s northern edge, the area has also been the domain of much of the city’s homeless population. Now, two very different demographics find themselves coexisting in close proximity.

On Kumquat Court, a small street in the heart of the Rosemary District, this contrast comes into sharp relief. On the east side, underneath a large crane, the five-story Villa Ballada is currently under construction and will be home to 22 luxury condominiums with balconies and a central courtyard with a private swimming pool. The cost of these residences starts at $1,030,600. Just down the street, on the opposite side, are the bright orange doors and black awnings of Resurrection House, a daytime resource center that serves those who do not have a place to live.

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