The United Caring Shelters, Inc. (UCS) began as an idea that came about in a Sunday School class at Bethel United Church of Christ in June, 1991. Shortly thereafter, we opened a day shelter at St Anthony's Family Life Center and served about 25 to 30 people two meals a day. An emergency night shelter was added for single men with 12 bunk beds in an area of Emmanuel Luthern. We added laundry facilities when we realized that this helped men and women save money in order to pay for the main necessities in life.

In 1996, United Caring Shelters bought an abandoned brick warehouse one block north of the YMCA. This building was four stories and had a basement. It was close to the main bus terminal and the services for employment, social service agencies and government offices that assist the homeless and needy in our area. The first floor was remodeled in seven months by volunteers. It soon turned into a soup kitchen and day shelter.

The first floor provides meals for everybody, no questions asked. United Caring Shelters is the only local shelter to offer laundry and shower facilities and allow the use of the shelter address to people who need to use it for job applications, social security disability benefits and so that their family can keep in contact with them.

The second floor provides a safe haven for men to sleep from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. There are bunk beds in a dorm-type atmosphere. We have a curfew at night and a wake up service for those who need to get to work on time in the morning.

The third and fourth floor have been renovated for our Transitional Housing program. Each apartment has a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living area. Each tenant is required to have a job and the rent is based on his income. The tenants can only be in the program for a total of 24 months and are they required to take many different classes

There are monthly house meetings and individual case management meetings with tenants are being conducted on a weekly basis depending on the tenant’s needs and work schedule.