For the third night this week, 12-year old William White spent the evening prepping cots, pillows, and handing out warm clothing to the homeless who sought refuge at Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church.

Early this week temperatures dropped into the 30s, and cold night shelters opened their doors to the homeless. The closest designated shelter for Largo's homeless is Peace Memorial in Clearwater.

There about 35 volunteers worked tirelessly through the night to give Largo and Clearwater area's homeless a hot meal and a warm place to rest for the night.

The church is the primary cold night shelter for North Pinellas County. They work with Pinellas County Homeless Coalition to provide a hot meal, warm night's stay, breakfast and a bag lunch that their guests leave with the next morning.

"Tonight will be one of our coldest yet," said Jack Stonebraker, co-coordinator of the cold night shelter for Peace Memorial.

With people lined up by the front door by 5 p.m. and pouring in well into the night, "We will reach full capacity," he said.

Tuesday night was the shelter's eighth night open in December. Volunteer Doug White said this year's winter began earlier than last.

"It's earlier than last year and the earliest in the history of our shelter," White said.

Last year's cold front broke the shelter's record for days open. If the cold persists, the shelter may exceed that number. 

"We were open 13 days from the first of January," White said.

Although they open for a couple of weeks out of the year, they plan for the emergency all year. Last year they made infrastructure changes to the building to accommodate men's and women's bathrooms and sleeping rooms. 

Making the necessary changes to adapt to the county's need, "It's part of who we are and what we do," Stonebraker said.

The shelter is seeing more women and have received more calls from families needing assistance. Families are directed to case managers who set them up in motels for the night. 

"It has to do with the economy. They're young people who are not eligible for social security or benefits," White said.

Despite the growing need, the shelter manages to feed, cloth and house 75 people a night.

"It makes you feel great to know we have a warm place for them to stay," White said. They open their doors at 5:30 p.m. when the temperature drops below 40 degrees. Volunteers, like Dan Johnson, who heads the food-line, spend about three hours a night prepping meals.

He had eight helping hands cutting up pastries and pies for dessert.

"It gives us a sense of community," said Andrea Castaneda who was assiting in the food line.

Castaneda, received a scholarship from Peace Memorial to attend Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. She came back to help when she heard they were in need of volunteers.

Castaneda recognized some of the homeless entering the shelter that night.

"I've seen them walking around before," she said. "This is the only way I feel like I can help them."

Ten minutes before the doors opened and the cafeteria tables filled up with people, about ten volunteers gathered in a prayer circle.

Arms locked and heads bowed, they prayed for a smooth night. "Amen" they all exclaimed as they headed back to their post.

William White and his two friends, 12-year old Cameron Hitchcock and 14-year old Reed Brinkman, sat at the welcoming desk.

"It makes you feel good to help out the less fortunate," Reed Brinkman said.

"It makes me feel good inside," William White said.