United Caring Services

United Caring Services (UCS) offers the only Day Shelter (drop-in center) services in Evansville for men, women, and children offering 3 meals a day for 7 days a week. They serve over 350 hot meals a day, all prepared by volunteers. The Men’s Emergency Night Shelter provides a safe and secure overnight haven for homeless men. The Women’s Emergency Night Shelter, located in Ruth’s House at 321 E. Walnut, offers a safe, clean, supportive shelter for up to 24 women.

UCS offers 21 low income, studio apartments to help stabilize and assist men and women in leaving and/or preventing their homeless situation.

Through its medical respite services, UCS offers a Recuperative Care Program providing temporary shelter for homeless men and women needing a safe discharge from the hospital for healing, recovery, housing, and hope.

UCS will soon offer a new front-line intoxication, substance use, and/or co-occurring mental health crisis intervention and diversion program in partnership with the city of Evansville and other agencies and individuals. This new program will expand their medical respite goals to address the needs of people with intoxication, substance use, and/or co-occurring mental health issues — issues that cause and continue people’s homelessness.

Ways to get involved:

1.     Meal Preparation:

a.     Join a meal crew or create a crew with friends.  Meals are served at 9 a.m. (breakfast), noon (lunch), and 5 p.m. (dinner).  People usually volunteer on a rotating basis.  They may volunteer for one of the meals or a combination of meals, such as breakfast and lunch. They may volunteer for one meal a month or any number of meals.  One meal a month is fairly common.

b.     The UCS supplies most of the ingredients, especially the major ones.  (They will let you know what they have available to cook.)  Occasionally, the preparation crews bring a few extras, but that is usually not necessary. 

c.      Preparation begins about an hour and a half before the meals are served, depending on the menu.  The clean-up is mostly done by the folks at UCS, so the preparation crew usually leaves by one hour after the meal service begins.

2.     Clothes Sorting and/or Inventory:

a.     Can be one-time assistance or on a regular, rotating basis.

3.     Mailing Help:

a.     Occasionally, help is needed to do large mailings.  Volunteers may place their names on an as-needed call list.

4.     Other Opportunities:

a.     Find other volunteer opportunities at https://www.unitedcaringservices.org/volunteer/

The contact for this ministry is UCS at 812-422-0297 Opt 1.