Mercy House

Mercy House will hold its sixth annual fundraising gala “Living With Heart” at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel on Saturday, May 15, 2010 featuring comedian Tim Shaw as master of ceremonies.

The agency will recognize Experian as its corporate honoree and House of Blues as its community honoree.

Guests will enjoy a night of fun with silent and live auctions, elegant food and great music provided by Ray Charles protege Ellis Hall and runners up for the KTLA Battle of the Bands, Adams Attic.

The theme for this year’s gala is “Together We Shine.” The theme for the event will be supported by an original song performed by a “super group” of Southern California musicians including Artildo Holloway, Jason Janson, Austin Wood and Derek Henry at the beginning of the program.

Click here to view the press release. For information about the gala, visit our splash page.

The Orange County Cold Weather Armory Emergency Shelter Program will conclude for the season on March 31, 2010. The Cold Weather Armory Emergency Shelter Program located at the Santa Ana and Fullerton National Guard Armories, provides shelter, food and services to the homeless of Orange County during the winter months. The program will resume in the fall of 2010.

Program participants seeking housing and shelter needs should call 2-1-1 for assistance. 2-1-1 provides free and confidential information and referral. Individuals and families can call 2-1-1 for help with critical issues like shelter, food, housing, employment, health care, counseling, legal and financial assistance, mental health care, and more. The 2-1-1 number is available to all people living in Orange County. Callers seeking assistance can dial 211 (toll free) 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, and be connected to trained information and referral specialists. This service is available in over 150 languages.

If you have received calls from our phone number, please be aware that Mercy House is a victim of Caller-ID Spoofing. The calls you received did not come from our organization. A third party has been making calls that appear to come from our phone number in an attempt to steal credit card information. We are aware of this problem, have contacted the appropriate authorities and apologize for the inconvenience.

Mercy House proudly congratulates staff members Sharon Fain, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer, and Sharon Reyes, AmeriCorps VIP Volunteer, on their recognition by the 2010 Spirit of Volunteerism Awards!

Sharon and Shannon will be honored for their outstanding contribution to the community, and for their one-year commitment to Mercy House. Their efforts have directly impacted the work we do,  and allow us to provide additional services to those in need.

Continue reading ‘Mercy House Honorees Recognized at 34th Annual Spirit of Volunteerism Awards’

In his post today on TIME.com, reporter Kevin O’Leary wrote about a variety of options that people have available to them when facing homelessness.

He spoke with Mercy House Executive Director Larry Haynes to get a broad view of the types of programs that are available for homelessness-prevention and housing, and also interviewed Mercy House client, Jennifer Santana, to get a very personal view of what it’s like to be unexpectedly and suddenly homeless with your children for the first time.

After her husband left her, Jennifer Santana lost her job. When she was evicted from her apartment, Santana, 37, held her family together by living with a friend and then in her van. But as the nights grew cold in early December, she stood huddled with her three children in front of the Orange County cold-weather shelter in Santa Ana, Calif. “There were long lines of men and women, and the people were laying out mats on the floor. It was scary. I could not believe I was standing there with my kids.

Read the article in tday’s TIME.com article: The Feds’ Homelessness-Prevention Program