Mercy House Timeline

Father Jerome T. Karcher first began reflecting seriously on the plight of the homeless in 1988 while he was Associate Pastor at Saint Anne Catholic Church in Santa Ana, California. There, he became more aware of the needs of both homeless and immigrant populations. One experience concerning the needs of an immigrant young man who was living on the streets in an abandoned garage particularly moved him to respond to the local situation of homelessness. This decision inspired him to found Mercy House as a not-for-profit charitable corporation.

The first board members were friends with good hearts and business expertise who could assist in the practical, financial and legal aspects of the new organization. Father Jerome chose the name Mercy House to highlight the need that each person has for God’s mercy realizing "there go I but for the grace of God." The name also tells of a house as a place of hospitality and welcome -- a dignified place to receive the comfort of a home.

Each Mercy House facility provides more than simply beds for the homeless. In its care for the dignity of the individual person, there is a commitment to high quality facilities that provide the best that can be given through professional staff and case management. This ensures that clients receive the help they need.

Although Mercy House has expanded over the years to provide affordable housing options for its clients, Father Jerome’s first project was to create a transitional residence for employable homeless adult men which opened in 1990 in a rented a house on North Main Street in Santa Ana. It provided shelter for 10 men and was simply called Mercy House. The organization soon began to receive funding as people saw their role in being instruments of God’s mercy by giving from their plenty. This level of generosity has continued over the years, creating a large community of donors and volunteers who support the Mercy House ministry.

It was clear to Father Jerome that God’s Providence was purposeful as Mercy House received substantial contributions to hire two important staff members in 1990 who would lay the foundation for its services to the poor, the marginalized and the homeless. The first was Larry Haynes who is the Executive Director for Mercy House and has creatively overseen its expansion of programs and services. The second was Lisa Mastropietro whose insights and commitment as the Development Director served this growing organization for 15 years.

In those early years, the Mercy House office was located in a back bedroom, off the laundry room, of the men’s residence on Main Street. Larry and Lisa worked in this cramped space for four years. It was very simple and a very hands-on experience. Yet as the positive reputation of Mercy House grew, so did the facilities and programs. The “original” Mercy House eventually became known as Joseph House. It is now a large, 4-unit apartment complex that houses 20 single men. While they are either employed, pursuing higher education or enrolled in a job-training program, clients may maintain residency for up to one year.

In April 1994, the Mercy House vision expanded further to embrace the needs of homeless mothers and their children by opening Regina House. Seven families may maintain residency there for up to one year there while the mothers are employed, pursuing higher education or enrolled in a job-training program. Regina House was constructed through the generosity and assistance of HomeAid Orange County and Fieldstone and was furnished by Munro’s Furniture. It also provided space for the administrative offices for the growing organization.

As the vision of Mercy House grew, it began to consider a continuum of services for the marginalized and homeless. This expanding perspective created Mercy House Center which opened in 1999 as a walk-in outreach program designed to address the immediate needs of Orange County’s homeless population through crisis intervention, food and shelter referral, clothing vouchers, transportation assistance and hygiene items.

In 1996 the board of directors and staff began to investigate the need for housing for people who were living with AIDS/HIV. Seeing this as another expression of its charism of mercy, Mercy House opened Emmanuel House in April 2001 and began operations in June. Emmanuel House is a beautiful state-of-the art 21-bedroom facility that houses adult men and women living with HIV or AIDS. It is also the current location for the Mercy House administrative offices. The facility was built through the cooperation of HomeAid Orange County and John Laing Homes and furnished through the generosity and coordination of Creative Design Consultants.

Housing with supportive services became a key concept for Mercy House expansion when it opened San Miguel Residence in March 2005. A central issue facing the homeless person is lack of affordable housing. Most homeless individuals work, but usually at minimum wage or low income jobs that cannot supply the necessary income for housing, utilities, child care, etc. Mercy House responded to this need at San Miguel Residence that was fully built with the assistance of HomeAid Orange County and Lennar Homes and generously furnished by Creative Design Consultants and Ambrosia Interior Design. San Miguel Residence comprises two buildings and provides affordable housing with supportive services for up to 25 individuals. It serves families, men, women and children.

Over its first 15 years, Mercy House has expanded through the cooperation of city governments, corporations, foundations and many individuals. One of the most important aspects of Mercy House has been and continues to be its collaboration with the City of Santa Ana which has been extremely supportive over the years. As well, neighborhood organizations and other partners have collaborated in the Mercy House vision as it continues to look at creative ways to serve the homeless and at-risk-of-becoming homeless individuals. Through homeless prevention programs, scholarship partnerships with Vanguard University and plans for expansion, Mercy House continues to reach out to the community through innovative programming that gives hope to those in need.

Mercy House has expanded its services to open three facilities in Ontario, California. Guadalupe Residence will provide 15 four-bedroom apartments for individuals and families in need of permanent affordable housing. Assisi House will provide 9 apartments as transitional housing units. Mercy House Center Ontario will be built to provide emergency services and beds. This expansion has received the support of the City of Ontario as well as the encouragement of many service providers and individuals in the Inland Empire.

Breaking through the stereotype of the homeless person, Mercy House has successfully set a standard in its services to homeless men, women and children. It is the Mercy House mission to be a leader in ending homelessness for those who enter its system of care by providing a unique system of dignified housing alternatives, programs and supportive services. At Mercy House, the phrase "We help people find their way back home," expresses its philosophy to help people find their way to permanent housing which they can call "home".

From that initial idea of reaching out to the marginalized that Father Jerome had in 1988 and led to beginning services to the homeless community in 1990 with Larry Haynes and Lisa Mastropietro, Mercy House has always relied on the Providence of God. From the beginning, God provided the resources to begin this good work through the generosity of others. He continues to do so today as others realize that they too can be instruments of God’s mercy. This mercy allows many men, women and children to experience their inherent dignity through programs leading to self-sufficiency and independent living through work and education.