After more than 40 years of operating an emergency lodge in Winter Haven, the Salvation Army has closed its east Polk County shelter. Over the past month, the charity had been working to relocate nearly a dozen women who had been living at the shelter, in some cases for months. The shelter, located at 320 Ave. T NW, had been open since 1982. However, after accumulating nearly $125,000 in debt, and without enough donations coming in to keep it running, it was decided Monday, Feb. 12, was the day. The shelter closed its doors indefinitely. The good news, says the Salvation Army, is that all 11 women were placed in a safe environment for the time being. The last was relocated the night before the shelter closed. “Yeah, I asked about them, I wanted to know,” said Joe Yokshas, who stopped by the shelter where he had volunteered for six years. The shelter helped women who turned to the Salvation Army to, in some cases, escape abusive relationships. Others just needed a place to make a fresh start. “Overall, at least I'm thankful they're getting some kind of help,” Yokshas said. While the shelter itself is closed, the east Polk location is still providing social services, connecting people with programs and providing food. Clients like Jeff Hancock said they’re grateful for that. “Yeah, they're good to me. They're good to all of the people,” he said. “They're good, good people.” MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/salvation-army-closes-winter-haven-shelter/67-2787fd8e-b9ca-481b-81b3-f23ff766f00d ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay