Times Center

Providing Soup to the Times Center

Soup buckets are in the parlor and available on Sundays and during the week. We need to provice 16-20 gallons from CUCC to TIMES Center. You may take the soup directly to TIMES, 70 E. Washington, Champaign, open 24 hours a day... or you may bring it to church and put it in the UPSTAIRS freezer during that week and we'll take it over. Please mark your conatiner with type of soup and date. There are vegetarians at the Center so meatless soups are fine too, mark them accordingly so they will know what they have. Contact Jan Wilson if you have questions.

What is the Times Center?

The Times Center is a support system for the homeless men in our community.

More than twenty years ago ...

the Times Center began with churches whose members served supper to needy men at various churches. Church Women United volunteered to supply soup for meals at the beginning and is still doing so today. Over the years, funds were found to hire a director, and other staff as funding became available. The months of operation changed from November-March during cold weather in the early years to year round three meals a day service.

Today ...

the Times Center has its own building on Market and Washington in Champaign, and is run by Provena Behavioral Health, and has a professional staff, though still relying heavily on volunteers to assist the men. Women may eat at the building but may not stay over night. Recently they have changed from the original purpose of simply providing a safe place to sleep and one meal a day, to a system where the men must sign on for counseling, drug/alcohol treatment, financial management, or anything else they may need with the goal of having them be employed and no longer homeless.

How are Community UCC and the Campus Ministry involved?

Community UCC has been involved from the beginning, occasionally housing the shelter for a week or two in the 80's, and we have made soup twice a year for all that time. Some of us have volunteered more, Richard Schnuer is on the Board, Jan Wilson has coordinated soup for the 45 or so churches who make soup and also has been on the Board. Ron & Martha Wagner spend much of their Wednesdays at the Times Center making lunch and talking or playing cards or whatever seems to be needed on that day. We also collect motel shampoo, soaps, etc and have given other supplies such as socks and underwear and other toilet supplies at various times.

At least once a year, students from the United Church Foundation Campus Ministry volunteer to make lunch and interact with the people at the Times Center.

How can individuals participate?

When the call goes out in the Communigram for people to make soup for the Times Center, one can take one of the buckets and volunteer to make soup. Contact Jan Wilson for more details.

More volunteers are always needed at the Times Center and hours can be arranged at your convenience. Call the Volunteer coordinator 398-7785 and ask what needs to be done that you might be able to do.

Contact and other information

Times Center Volunteer coordinator 398-7785

Program details, hours, etc.
http://www.prairienet.org/helpbook/fs01ca63.html