ORLANDO, Fla. — Challenges continue for leaders at the Coalition for the Homeless this weekend following Wednesday’s fire that displaced 237 residents.

What You Need To Know

  • Wednesday’s fire at the Coalition for the Homeless displaced 237 residents
  • Shiloh Baptist Church will take in over 100 men displaced by the fire
  • The church is providing meals to the homeless provided by outside organizations
  • The church expects to house the men in their gymnasium for the next 7-10 days

The homeless shelter is still uninhabitable, and it may be weeks before some of their residents can move back on campus.

Shiloh Baptist Church in Orlando took in 147 men from the shelter Thursday night and is expecting the same through the weekend.

Other men have gone to additional shelters spread across Central Florida.

Shiloh Baptist Church Senior Pastor Derrick Williams says their location at Jackson and Terry streets make them the ideal spot to house the homeless.

“It turns out we were centrally located, to many of the persons we are serving kind of live and move about in the downtown area,” said Williams.

He said the church gymnasium has been turned into a temporary shelter to help the community.

“We can probably sleep up to a 150 people. I was told last night we were able to accommodate 147 people,” said pastor Williams.

The church has some bathrooms for the men to use, but additional facilities had to be brought in and placed outside so the guests can shower and clean up.

Oscar Gonzalez of the Clean the World organization says it’s important for the men to clean up and feel good about themselves and bathing is the only way to do that.

Clean the World provided a mobile shower and bathroom trailer for the church.

“This unit is completely self-sustained. We don’t need water, we don’t need power, we just need people,” said Gonzalez.

Williams said he has had conversations with both the coalition and city asking him to house the homeless for at least 7 to 10 days or possibly even longer.