ST JOHN CENTER INC

Provides day-time shelter, as well as, food, housing, health, and employment support for homeless men throughout the city.

Housed in a former Catholic church, St. John Center (SJC) serves as a daytime safe haven and sanctuary for thousands of homeless men from Louisville and Southern Indiana who often have no place else to go. In addition to being an emergency shelter, SJC provides numerous services to help their clients breakdown barriers to housing. These services include housing placement, job and housing referrals, mental health counseling, assistance filling out food stamp and disability claims, assistance acquiring birth certificates and identification letters, access to hot showers, restroom facilities, hot coffee and cold water, notary public service, as well as telephone, mail and fax service.

Based on the Housing First model, this program enables chronically homeless men to obtain and maintain their own apartments through the support of a dedicated SJC case worker. Each client that qualifies for the program works closely with their case manager during home visits and life skills classes to achieve housing stability, an increased level of skills, increased income and greater self-determination. Participants consistently report a dramatic improvement in both their physical and mental health, making them more productive citizens in the community.

To remove barriers to self-sufficiency and housing, St. John Center offers services to address the core needs of men struggling with homelessness. For SJC clients who are able to work but need help finding and maintaining a job, SJC provides employment assistance services and ongoing support. This support includes helping clients to find, obtain, and/or complete required documentation, as well as referrals to potential employers. In addition, housing counseling services are provided to clients who don’t qualify for the Permanent Supportive Housing program. These services include helping with searches for housing or apartments, as well as obtaining and completing documentation and coordinating efforts with housing providers.