House of Bread and Peace
Giving women and children a comfortable safe place to begin healing the wounds of homelessness and building foundations for successful lives.
From Sr. Joanna Trainer, O.S.B., founder of the House of Bread and Peace:
At a Christmas dinner in Evansville, Indiana in 1979 I was shocked by the hunger of the poor. I was moved to do something about this issue and found motivation from the Catholic Worker Houses started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. Dorothy Day showed love and compassion to the homeless.
Her philosophy was built on the Gospels, especially that of Matthew 25: Feed the Hungry, Shelter the Homeless, Clothe the Naked, Visit the Sick, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit those in Prison
And Jesus said: "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sister you do it to me!"
The Women They Work With
They come from every walk of life, every financial background, every race, and religion. They share the desire and the hope that they will be independent again.
House of Bread and Peace helps
- the mother and child who have been asked to leave a shared residence
- the woman who has worked for 30 years and now finds herself homeless with a permanent disability
- the young woman who dropped out of high school and had a child, whom social service has taken away
Parenting Time Center
Parenting Time Center provides a safe, neutral and convenient location for supervised visitation between children and their non-custodial parents. They also provide a safe, neutral, and supervised location for the visit and custodial exchanges of children between parents. No parents encounter one another at PTC.
Parenting Time Center accepts a variety of families. Self-referral is encouraged: just call.
Cooperative Parenting Classes
8-week courses dedicated to teaching parents communication skills and conflict resolution skills are provided. Cooperative parenting is a technique used by families in which both sides work to keep conflict low. This strategy can sometimes improve the lines of communication between parents. The purpose of this class is to give the parent’s tips on how to discuss their child and his/her needs in a healthy way.
Children Parenting Time Center Serves
- Child of Domestic Violence
- Chlid of Addition
- Child of High-Conflict Separation
- Child of Military Scars
YWCA Evansville
Services include:
- Domestic violence shelter, outreach, support groups, advocacy and services for victims and their children.
- Emergency housing for homeless women and children.
- YES! recovery residence for homeless women in recovery.
- Live Y'ers after-school and mentoring program for girls in grades 3-12.
- Batterer's Intervention Program
YWCA empowers women and girls. Through life-changing services and advocacy, we help our clients overcome their barriers to safety and self-sufficiency.
About YWCA
The YWCA is one of the oldest and largest multicultural organizations promoting solutions to enhance the lives of women, girls and families. The YWCA in Evansville has been serving the local community since 1911. In 1979, the YWCA opened the first domestic violence shelter in Evansville where we still provide shelter and services 24 hours per day. We work closely with law enforcement and local prosecutors to provide assistance to those who have been impacted by domestic violence. Our YES! recovery residence has been providing housing and services to homeless women in recovery from substance abuse since 2001. YWCA also provides after-school programming and mentors for at-risk girls in grades 3 through 12. YWCA advocates for racial justice and the health/safety/empowerment of women and girls through special events and collaborations.
The YWCA is a 501(c)3 United Way member agency open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Business office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Other Service Areas: Crisis Advocacy, Intervention Program, Mentoring Program, Outreach, Recovery Residence, Shelter