Care Center

"Come ye that are burdened and find rest for your weary souls." Matthew 11:28

NOTE: If you need housing at the Care Center, CLICK HERE.

Begun in the early 90's by a group of concerned businessmen, the Care Center merged with Wheeler Mission Ministries in 2001. Located at 23 North Rural Street, the Care Center provides an environment that is safe physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The ministry of the Care Center takes place in a very old, public school building -- which was obviously never designed to house homeless women. Wheeler hopes to be building a new Care Center in the near future at a location out of the inner-city. As plans become finalized, we will be sharing that information with you here. Check back now and then to see the latest.

Hundreds of women and mothers with children enter our doors seeking food, clothing and housing. The women find these vital needs supplied, but they also experience love and compassion, bringing rest for their weary souls. In 2004, the Center provided 23,527 nights of lodging to homeless women and mothers with children, an average of 64 each night. National studies indicate that the fastest growing segment of the homeless population consists of women and mothers with children, making the services offered at the Care Center imperative to our community.

The average stay at the Care Center is three months. During that time ladies are given Biblical counseling, job readiness training, job leads, educational assessment and tutoring, medical services, addiction counseling and encouragement to enter one of our long term residential programs. Within the Center there are four main programs. Click here for a short description of the Emergency Housing program, a Special Needs Program, the Working Guest Program, and the Higher Ground Program.

Everyone who seeks assistance from the Center is given the necessities of food, clothing and housing. In addition, the Care Center also offers,

Sixty-six beds providing emergency and long term housing
Bible studies, 3 days a week
Addiction classes (Overcomers Anonymous), are held on site
Group therapy sessions for seeking recovery from addictions
Case Management
Three meals served daily
Medical clinics twice a week, staffed by Gennesaret and Homeless Initiative Program
Six-month After-Care program

These items help in the short term, but when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is shared and women are given Biblical instructions on how to live, lives are changed!

To learn more about the Care Center, try one of the following:

1. Watch the video we produced in 2002, featuring three women who tell their stories about being at the Care Center's program.
2. Several of our graduates have been featured in the Mission's newsletter, The Inside Story. Click here to see some of the stories.
3. To tour the Care Center, email Lisa Hoffman or call her at (317) 637-2916.
4. To volunteer at the Care Center click here to see a list of the current volunteer needs, and/or email Pam Eversole or call her at (317) 635-3575.
5. To donate to the Care Center online, click here to go our secure online donation website.