Center for Respite Care

The mission of the Center for Respite Care is to provide quality, holistic medical care to people experiencing homelessness who need a safe place to heal, while assisting them in breaking the cycle of homelessness.

Core Values

• Ignite the human spirit by restoring health, hope and dignity.

• Demonstrate mercy and compassion for all.

• Provide high quality health care.

• Connect the individual to the Greater Cincinnati/Tristate community through case management.

• Serve, collaborate and educate within our internal and external communities.

Founded in 2003, the Center for Respite Care is a 24/7, 20-bed medical facility serving one of the most marginalized populations in Greater Cincinnati: adult women and men who are experiencing homelessness and need a place to recover after a stay in the hospital or other medical facility.

Volunteer Opportunities: The Center for Respite Care enjoys the support of volunteers in carrying out its mission. Because the Center is a medical facility, some volunteer opportunities aren’t feasible – volunteering in vary large groups or with young children, for example. Nevertheless, we do have volunteer opportunities that are quite helpful in enhancing the Center’s service to our clients. Listed below are examples of the Center’s volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact us at volunteers@centerforrespitecare.org. We’re always happy to have guests visit. Feel free to give us a call anytime and come by for a tour of the facility.

Volunteer Provided Meal Program: Weekday meals are provided by the St. Francis Seraph Ministries’ Dining Room located on the floor below. Our greatest need is weekend meals. The Center has a kitchenette, stocked with dishware and serving utensils. Your group can make use of our microwaves, crock pots and warmers. Volunteers prepare a meal offsite, bring it, serve it and share it with our clients. Also, we can receive and store frozen meals that can be served when a volunteer group isn’t available.

Wish List Drives: The Center maintains an ongoing wish-list based on client needs. Volunteers – church groups, businesses, neighbors, schools – lead drives to provide wish list items—lounge wear, socks, shower shoes, new underclothes for women & men and toiletries for example. Client Activities Like anyone else recovering from a stay in the hospital, as the Center’s clients get to feeling better, they look for something to occupy their time. Through our volunteers the Center offers activities and programs for clients, both educational and recreational. Every day, clients work with medical and case management staff to learn the tools that lead to self-sufficiency and instill hope. The support of volunteers enriches this effort. If you have an idea for an activity or program, we’d love to hear about it.