CARES, Inc.
Post Office Box 1142
Petersburg, Virginia 23804-1142
The Crisis Assistance Response Emergency Shelter, known in the community as CARES, has been serving Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Hopewell, Petersburg and Prince George since 1983. The agency has two programs, an emergency shelter for women and children and a service center which is open to the community.
If individuals and families in crisis are not sure where to turn, the shelter is a good safe place. Even if shelter is not needed, CARES staff can often provide excellent referrals to the agencies and services which could help them.
The CARES Emergency Shelter for Women and Children is located at 244 Halifax Street in Petersburg. It provides shelter, meals, workshops, travel assistance, referrals, case management and other support to help the families it serves return to permanent housing. Unfortunately, at this time CARES is not able to provide shelter to intact families or boys over the age of twelve. Referrals are given to those the shelter cannot assist. The shelter can be reached at 804-861-0849.
The CARES Service Center is located at 120 East Washington Street in Petersburg. It provides non-shelter assistance to individuals and families in the community who are at-risk of becoming homeless. Non-shelter services include food, clothing, personal hygiene items, furniture, etc. Since theses items are donated to CARES, they are distributed at no cost to the recipients. Limited travel assistance is available for stranded travelers. Those requesting assistance are encouraged to contact the service center at 804-861-6191 to determine the hours and availability of the services they need.
If you want to help, there are always lots of opportunities to make a difference. There is always a need for diapers and cleaning supplies. Families leaving the shelter often need the most basic supplies, including pots and pans, plates, cups, flatware, sheets and blankets. If you are cleaning out your closets or your cupboards, please consider donating your items to CARES.
