United Caring Shelter

Day shelter: serves 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. Night Shelter: 62 beds (men only) first come, first served. Transitional Housing (men only): 2 year program, Section 8 approved, Studio Apartment, Case Worker.
Women's Shelter 24 beds
Homeless Medical Respite Program 6 beds (currently) hopeful for relocation/expansion in the works this year.

Day Shelter
We offer the only Day Shelter services in Evansville. We serve over 300 hot meals a day, all prepared by our volunteers. We provide services for elderly, disabled, near homeless and homeless men, women and children.
United Caring Services offers a place for people to get out of the elements and provides shower and laundry facilities (for which UCS supplies toiletries and laundry detergent), an address for receiving mail, clothing and a Bike to Work program (providing reconditioned bicycles to anyone who is employed or searching for employment and in need of transportation).
The Day Shelter is open from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm, seven days per week.
Our Day Shelter works in conjunction with agencies such as Aurora, Inc., ECHO Community Health Center, the Veterans Administration, and Southwestern Indiana Behavioral Services, all of which provide outreach support for case management, physical health, and behavioral health.

Night Shelter
United Caring Services' Men's Emergency Night Shelter provides a safe and secure overnight haven for homeless men from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. There are bunk beds in a dorm-type atmosphere. Every guest is required to shower at night. We have a curfew of 10pm and a wake up service for those who need to get to work on time in the morning. Personal belongings are limited to one bag on the bunk and a 40 gallon plastic tote for each man. These belongings are secure during the day when the Night Shelter is closed. Each guest is breathalyzed nightly upon entry; we have zero tolerance for alcohol use and/or illegal drug use.
The Night Shelter is full nearly every night of the year. All of the men in the Night Shelter have work details that they are responsible for completing; cleaning the Night Shelter and the bathrooms every morning, washing sheets and towels in the evening, cleaning the Kitchen and washing dishes after each meal and cleaning the Day Shelter after closing each day.
We strongly encourage our guests to stay for 180 days or less. We hope to acquire funding soon that will allow us to provide direct Case Management for the men in the Night Shelter. This service will provide the one on one support and encouragement they need to get employed, housed, and back on their feet.

Ruth's House Women's Shelter
The UCS Ruth's House Women's Emergency Night Shelter at 321 E. Walnut, offers a safe, clean, home like overnight shelter to 26 homeless women. Guests can begin checking into the Women's Shelter at 7:00 pm and must be in by 10:00 pm unless they have verified employment that keeps them out later. The Women's Shelter is always filled to capacity. Each guest has her own bed, closet space and dresser drawers in which to store personal belongings. UCS provides pillows, sheets, blankets and towels and personal hygiene items for each guest. All guests are breathalized , each night upon entry.

Transitional Housing
The Transitional Housing Apartment Program has 21 studio apartments located on the third and fourth floors of our facility. We provide a residential setting with intensive Case Management, support and encouragement. Each apartment has a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living area.
Applicants for this Program must meet strict guidelines prior to residency, including a criminal background check. The Evansville Housing Authority supplements the low income residents' rent through Section 8 funding.
The Program participants work closely with the Transitional Housing Case Manager to set goals and develop an Action Plan that will allow them to achieve those goals. While each individual has a unique Action Plan, we also offer general classes such as Personal Finance and Budgeting, Basic Computer Skills, Healthy Cooking on a Budget, and others that all Program participants are required to attend. We also provide access to counseling and classes that address relational issues, coping skills, assertiveness, anger management, substance abuse, stress management and spirituality/meditation.
Our Transitional Housing Case Manager ensures that our Program participants have the tools, techniques and disciplines that they need to renew life sustaining personal relationships, be successful in obtaining and keeping gainful, full-time employment and securing permanent housing, in a maximum time frame of two years.