ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay area temperatures are dropping this weekend and many counties are opening cold weather shelters.
Many homeless people in St. Petersburg are opting to sleep in a shelter due to the cold weather.
Williams Park is an area homeless people are known to hang out and sleep. There were few people doing that this weekend.
"It’s bone aching, gut-wrenching pain, but you get used to it," one homeless person told 10 Tampa Bay. He didn't want to give his name.
As a homeless person, he has spent many nights outside alone in freezing temperatures. "It makes you really depressed. You see people going inside and you’re out in the cold. It’s really sad," he added.
Helping heal that sadness is knowing he has a warm place to stay this weekend. Pinellas County officials opened nine cold weather shelters.
"These nights make you appreciate the really good people that are out there to help us," he added.
That help is appreciated by other homeless people who have bared the cold.
"It means a lot. It means that I don’t have to be alone by myself on a cold night," another homeless person added. He also didn't want to give his name.
For him, Christmas was a different story. He slept outside alone when it dropped to 31 degrees.
"It was bone-wrenching. No matter how many sleeping blankets you laid down or how much you cover up with, everything hurts. Nothing is useful. Everything’s worthless pretty much."
10 Tampa Bay reporter Shannon Clowe asked these men, what leaves them in this situation with no home to go to?
"I got in trouble being down here. I did some time. I thought I should leave I got my life together up north, life kind of fell apart," one man explained.
The other man said he shares those stories of making mistakes.
"You can’t judge everybody just because they’re outside. Sometimes we made mistakes and we’re trying to redeem ourselves."
Both explained, they spend a lot of time alone, but they're just like most people. "Just picture your daughters or your sons or your aunts or mothers… they all have them."
They may not be with them on these cold nights, but they’re not alone, nor are they cold. "These good people…without them, we would be out in the cold."
What helps make these shelters possible are donations and volunteers. If you are interested in either visit Homelessness Leadership Alliance in Pinellas to help.