Our Mission Continues!

UPDATE: As of April 1, 2022,

• On November 1, UCS is no longer requiring everyone to wear masks in common indoor areas (you are encouraged to do so especially if in a more vulnerable state and/or have loved ones who are) based on updated CDC guidelines & current Vanderburgh county COVID 19 transmission rates. All other policies and procedures and policies remain unaffected at this time. Donation restrictions are still in place – check with the front desk for any up-to-date information (812) 426-9960. We are maintaining a 2/3rd capacity for seating in the Day Shelter to provide some social distancing. We will also be keeping our regular-enhanced cleaning procedures.

As of August 2021:

• On August 4, UCS required everyone to wear masks in common indoor areas based on updated CDC guidelines & current (increasing/high) Vanderburgh county COVID 19 transmission rates. Masks were made available. All other policies and procedures and policies remain unaffected at this time. Donation restrictions are still in place – check with the front desk for any up-to-date information (812) 426-9960. We are maintaining a 2/3rd capacity for seating in the Day Shelter to provide some social distancing. We will also be keeping our regular-enhanced cleaning procedures.

As of May 2021:

• Donation restrictions are still in place; however, there may be some ‘loosening’ coming soon – check with the front desk for any up-to-date information (812) 426-9960. With the statewide mask mandates being lifted and given that many staff and guests have been vaccinated UCS, we have eliminated our night shelter C19 screening protocols and our Day Shelter seating is at 55 which is a little more than 2/3rds of normal capacity. Masks will still be mandatory on UCS property in May for everyone.

As of March 2021:

• Thanks to your support, our facilities and programs are available to our homeless, hungry, and hurting neighbors during this difficult time. We are still accepting donations of essential clothing (gloves, underwear, jeans), hygiene (deodorant), cleaning (hand & dish soap), and paper products (napkins). Also, see the URGENT NEEDS list on the website front page or check out our Amazon Charity List to buy and ship directly to us.
• For items not listed (like bulkier clothing items), please contact the day shelter (812) 426-9960 to see if we are accepting or in need of the items. Generally speaking, we are NOT accepting unsorted clothing donations. Note: For clothing donations, any/all used clothing needs to be clean and sorted to ensure use.
• For February 2021, we did an intense review and update for our health and safety policy and standards we put in place in 2020 related to COVID-19. And shared positive talking points for COVID-19 vaccination coming soon to our guests.
• In March 2021, we applied our new protocols, communicated vaccine information to our guests, implemented rapid antigen testing for our guests in response to a small group of positives to track them, ensure guests received follow-up tests, isolation or quarantine as needed, and were able to regain access to services. We anticipate vaccines for our population, regardless of age, in the coming weeks.

Over these past months, we have needed your support more than ever AND you delivered. Thank you! As other places stay closed or limit services, the need for United Caring Services (especially the day shelter) and other homeless shelters and services providers remains high and is (unfortunately) anticipated to increase. We are diligently and prudently practicing the precautions recommended by the CDC and local health departments based on the scope and need for our services. Our thorough cleaning process, commitment to regularly washed hands as well as safe, social interactions, along with mutual respect and degree of caution, will continue to keep our guests, staff, and volunteers safe.

We maintain our increased COVID-19 intake and screening protocols across UCS programming. These C19 Protocols were created and implemented on April 1, 2020, to provide specific cleaning and safety guidelines and timelines for entry/re-entry of guests who were tested (positive or negative) for COVID-19.

As of October 5, 2020:

• As a low-barrier shelter, we strive to limit any unfair restrictions on guests and their access to services; however, the recent spike in local and national COVID-19 infection numbers has created a need to make masks REQUIRED by all people on UCS (& Ruth’s House) property. Masks were already required for staff and volunteers since April. [10/14/2020] Guests have been understanding and compliant with this measure. We continue to accept donations of essential clothing, hygiene, cleaning, and paper products. For items not listed (like bulkier clothing items), please contact the day shelter (812) 426-9960 to see if we are accepting the items.

As of September 8, 2020:

• We continue to welcome back our amazing volunteers and we still have many open opportunities.
• We are NOW accepting some gently used clothing – jeans, t-shirts, undershirts, underwear, socks, and shoes for men and women. We need the items to be sorted and cleaned. Unsorted clothing donations may be discarded. We are only accepting NEW towels, sheets, and/or linens at this time. We continue to accept hygiene items, paper products, cleaning supplies, and food donations. We will evaluate the state of the pandemic and local restrictions again in October. Any questions, please call (812) 422-0297. Thank you for your support and understanding.
• UCS maintains its current April 1-level of cleaning, screening, distancing, mask, and safety protocols.
• We continue to have enhanced staff coverage during the week and on the weekends for guests’ safety and security.
• We are pausing the general Day Shelter temp screenings and allowing regular capacity to return to the Men’s Night Shelter. A month ago there were several positives C19 cases reported at ERM, so we added more vigorous temp screening to the day shelter to cover most open hours and temporarily reduced our men’s overnight capacity. Masks are still strongly encouraged for all guests inside the shelter and mandatory for staff and volunteers.

As of July 27 and August 6, 2020:

• We are not accepting any used clothing, towels, sheets, and/or linens. Our guests do need new adult-size T-shirts and underwear (for men & women), as well as new towels and twin-sized fitted and flat sheets. We will evaluate the state of the pandemic and local restrictions again on August 24. Any questions, please call (812) 422-0297. Thank you for your support and understanding.
• UCS maintains its current April 1-level of cleaning, screening, distancing, mask, and safety protocols.
• We continue to have enhanced staff coverage during the week and on the weekends for guests’ safety and security.
• (August 6) Given recent positives at ERM, we are adding temp screening to the day shelter to cover most open hours (may not be possible during meal time given logistics and lack of staff coverage) and more strongly encouraging mask use by all guests inside the day shelter. We are also considering a reduction of our men’s night shelter capacity by about 20%.

As of May 20, 2020:

• We are not accepting clothing donations. This policy will be reviewed during the month of June.
• We hope to see our volunteers return to service by/in June and some normalcy return in those areas; however, UCS will maintain its screening, distancing, mask, and cleansing protocols.
• We continue to have enhanced staff coverage during the week and on the weekends for guests’ safety and security.

As of April 1, 2020:

• We are no longer accepting some donated items — clothing, sheets, blankets, towels. An urgent needs list is on the front page of the website. Have a question? Call us.
• Under new screening, social distancing, mask requirements and enhanced cleaning protocols, we are taking guests in the night shelters and respite and serving people in the day shelter.
• If someone has been tested, awaiting results, in need of isolation that we cannot provide, or tested positive we WILL NOT be able to serve them.
• If the person been tested and gets a negative result then we will take them back. Current guests awaiting results will not lose their beds assuming the test results will be back within 72 hours (unsure how long it is taking to get results). We will not hold the bed indefinitely. After 5 days, it will be available for use.
• If the person has tested positive, then in 21 days from that positive diagnosis they will be eligible to return AS LONG AS they have been tested again and the result is negative and they are symptom-free.

We anticipate maintaining our current levels of caution and preparedness into 2021. As conversations continue and conditions change, UCS will be able to adapt and overcome better and faster because of your continued support.

Thank you for your financial gifts, in-kind donations, and volunteerism that make the days and nights more dignified, healthier, and safer for men, women, and children who are homeless, hungry, and hurting.

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