you made a difference this year

YOUMADE ADIFFERENCETHIS YEAR.

2020-2021ANNUAL REPORT

We helppeople findtheir wayback home.MISSION STATEMENTTo be a leader in ending homelessness by providing a unique system of dignified housing opportunities, programs, and supportive services.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSFather Jerome T. Karcher, Founder and Board Chair • Raymond M. Bukaty, Vice-Chair • William E. Baker Jr., Assistant Secretary • Gary R. Belz • Jordan Bennett • Mia Bergman • James Brooks • David Brust • Johnny Bryant • Mladen Buntich • Tim Clyde • Daryl A. Cole, CFP • Thomas J. Conway • Jeremy Elkins • Phillip R. Kaplan Marianne Koshar • Richard Lopez, Esq. • Richard K. MastersonLinda Nguyen • Christie Pettus • Jim Righeimer • Lisa Rumbaugh

EXECUTIVE TEAMLarry Haynes, Chief Executive O�cer • Patti Long, Chief Operations O�cer • Timothy Huynh, Chief Programs O�cer • Allison Davenport, Chief Strategy & Compliance O�cer • Linda Wilson, Chief Housing O�cer • Mary Ellen Gross, Chief Financial O�cer • Jacob Mize, Development Director

ANNUAL REPORT 20-2101

I would like to thank our incredible sta�, donors, and Board of Directors for continuing to serve our clients through these unprecedented times. Our programs and services have not only met the increased need directly resulting from the pandemic, but we have served more people last year and guided more people to solve their homelessness than any other year in Mercy House history.

There are over 150,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in California and Arizona. Our services have never been more important than now. Through outreach, emergency shelters, and permanent housing, Mercy House has ended the homelessness of 2,090 individuals across California and Arizona.

With your support this past fiscal year, we were able to open two beautiful permanent housing programs in Santa Ana that give a�ordable housing to those who need it most. In a joint e�ort with the State of California, we participated in Project Roomkey, a project designed to keep individuals experiencing homelessness o� the streets during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Through this program, we opened Casa Aliento in Ventura County to turn this short-term solution into a permanent program. The Brundage Lane Navigation Center opened its doors as our first emergency shelter in Bakersfield, CA, and now has ended the homelessness of over 50 individuals since opening in October 2020.

In this Annual Report, you will see more of how we continue to end homelessness in your communities. Your support is what makes it possible to run dozens of programs across six di�erent regions in two states. From the desert of Arizona to the waves in Ventura, it’s because of you that we can continue this work to end homelessness in our local communities.

We are so grateful to each and every one of you for donating, volunteering, and advocating to end homelessness. We are grateful to God’s goodness and providence that has allowed us to accomplish all of our success through your generosity.

Sincerely,

Father Jerome T. KarcherFounder & Board Chairman

LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER

Founded in 1988,Father Jerome T. Karcher believed that each person is born with inherent dignity and that homelessness is an affront to that dignity.

What started as a dream to serve one of the most vulnerable populations through a small shelter in Santa Ana, CA,Mercy House has grown to serve over 100,000 homeless individuals in California and Arizona.

ANNUAL REPORT 20-21 02

Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation Center • New Hope • Casa Aliento • La Placito Cinco • Brundage Lane Navigation Center • Buena Park Navigation Center • Casa Queriencia • Huntington Beach Navigation

350

OUTREACHSERVICES

3,057

EMERGENCYSHELTERS

1,914

PERMANENTHOUSING

$185KVALUE RECEIVEDIN DONATEDIN-KIND GOODS

$329KVALUE OF

11,000 HOURSVOLUNTEERED

NEW PROGRAMS IN 98%75DIFFERENT CITIES

24%INCREASE IN

HOUSINGPLACEMENTS

SAVED FROM TAX DOLLARSAS A RESULT OF OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS

$63M

INDIVIDUALS SERVED THROUGH

132%INCREASE INHOMELESS

PREVENTIONSERVICES

1,295BEDS OFEMERGENCYSHELTERPROVIDED

529

INDIVIDUALSWERE PREVENTEDFROM ENTERINGHOMELESSNESS

SUCCESS RATEIN OUR PERMANENT

SUPPORTIVE HOUSINGPROGRAMS

YOU MADE ALL THIS POSSIBLE IN 2020-2021

2,090HOMELESSNESS OFWE ENDED THE

ADULTS AND CHILDREN


OUR REGIONS

Permanent Housing OutreachEmergency SheltersPermanent Housing

Emergency Shelters Emergency Shelters

OutreachEmergency SheltersPermanent Housing

Emergency SheltersPermanent Housing

Outreach Services provide immediate relief to those facing homelessness each day. These services include referrals, access to food, showers, laundry access, and other basic needs.

Emergency Shelters work with families and individuals to find and obtain permanent housing as rapidly as possible. Our guests receive meals, showers, access to life skills, and additional support to focus on securing permanent housing.

Permanent Housing focuses on one of America’s greatest needs: a�ordable housing. Mercy House provides permanent supportive housing to qualified households, giving them a second chance at establishing a home and creating a life of self-su�ciency and success.

HOW WE WORK

A

RIZONA

INL

A

ND EMPIR

E

KE

R

N COUNT

Y LO

S ANGELES

OR

AN

GE COUN

TY

VE

NT

URA CO

UN

TY


THE GARCIA’S STORYJennifer su�ers from Congestive Heart Failure meaning her heart pumps at 15% normal capacity. While living with this condition, she and her partner Mario endured the stress, fear, and uncertainty of life on the streets day in and day out for many years until a shelter opening provided a beacon of hope. There they spent 6-months connecting with services and working toward a housing plan. Then on the last week of their stay, reality hit them again. Jennifer’s heart had failed.

After a temporary stay with family during her recovery, the real and lasting beacon of hope entered their lives. They were connected to Mercy House’s Orchard Residence, a 72-unit permanent supportive housing development for chronically homeless, disabled residents. Sta� at the Orchard helped the couple create both housing stabilization and health goals. They were able to be themselves and focus on reuniting with Jennifer’s family.

Jennifer recalls her care at the Orchard and the individualized support they received, “If we needed someone to talk to, our Case Manager always went out of his way to help us because no situation is ever the same, they are all di�erent.” Their 3-years at the Orchard was an “accomplishment” as they paid rent on time and engaged in supportive services.

Jennifer’s life nearly ended on the streets and even in the shelter. What saved her life was the ability to focus on herself, her health, and her future. Today, Jennifer and Mario have put both the streets and the Orchard behind them. They now are self-sufficient in their own apartment and feel “blessed and thankful” to the staff who helped guide their new life.

“Our Case Manager didn’t have to be working. If we needed someone to talk to, he always went out of his way to help us because no situation is ever the same, they are all different.” - Jennifer

IN 2020-2021, WE SERVED

1,560CHRONICALLY

HOMELESSINDIVIDUALS

2,361DISABLED

INDIVIDUALS

208VETERANS

1,350SINGLE

WOMEN

1,317INDIVIDUALS

IN FAMILIES


We strive to assist our residents in the areas of economic, emotional, and

spiritual well-being to enhance self-esteem as well as a sense of pride. We value accountability, integrity, and

self-su�ciency. Mercy House is grounded in the belief that every person is born

with inherent dignity and that homelessness is an a�ront to that dignity.

DIGNIFIEDHOUSING


Over our 30-year history, we have created a blend of Housing First models. This strategy focuses on helping individuals get housing so that they can address the secondary barriers from the safety of their home. Housing First also provides the opportunity to assess and solve each unique need as we believe there is no "cookie-cutter" solution to ending one's homelessness.

HOUSINGFIRST


SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

ORANGE COUNTY

LOSANGELESCOUNTY

VENTURACOUNTY

MARICOPACOUNTY

KERN COUNTY

2372

CITIES

COUNTIES

STATES

MERCY HOUSEIS LOCATED IN

Ontario Access CenterOntario, CA

El Rancho de SolMesa, AZ

Casa AlientoOxnard, CA

New HopeBellflower, CA

Brundage Lane Navigation CenterBakersfield, CA

At Mercy House, we have a saying – we will help the ones that nobody wants to serve. Those that have lived on the

streets for years, that have denied services o�ered to them, and seem impossible to help.

Margarita was one of these people. She had been living on the streets of Bakersfield, California for as long as anyone

could remember. She slept on the sidewalks downtown or in the center of the business district. She refused services. Life

on the streets was perhaps all she could see as her future until the Brundage Lane Navigation Center opened its doors

in October 2020.

For the first month of her stay, she didn’t want to talk to anybody, including her Case Manager. Her pattern seemed on repeat. But by the second month, she could be seen chatting with other guests in the shelter, making friends, and laughing. She looked forward to things. She dared to trust again. She dared to believe that she had value. By the third month, she

was matched with a housing voucher and has now moved into permanent housing.

Margarita was the person that the world looked at and thought, “There’s no hope for her. She’s too far gone”. Mercy

House looked at her and said, “There’s hope for her – and we can help.”

With the right tools and the right support, the woman who could never be helped, ended her homelessness in 3-months.

MARGARITA’SSTORY


GREG’S STORYGreg grew up in Orange County, and when he turned 20 years old, he was drafted into the United States Army, serving in Japan from 1972-1974 in the Language Center Headquarters. Upon discharge, he began employment as a camera operator and video editor for PBS. His goals were beginning to fall into place in his professional life and personal life as he married his best friend and continued to live in Huntington Beach.

In 2003, Greg left his job with PBS and began working as a freelance video editor for 14 years before he and his wife split up. The divorce initiated a spiral of losing freelance clients, income, and eventually his home.

After being homeless, Greg had enough. He gathered his confidence and applied for and was awarded a VA housing voucher. Mercy House, working with the Orange County United Way, helped to provide him housing navigation services to secure an apartment and ongoing stabilization services to ensure that he would never have to return to the streets. Greg now lives independently in Huntington Beach where he continues to follow his passion for film editing.

1.4 million veterans are at risk of homelessness in the United States. A lack of healthy support networks, a�ordable housing, and increasing poverty are the reasons that put veterans at an increased risk of homelessness.

Greg is one of many people who re-established their confidence to take a leap of faith and aspire to elevate their lives from living a life of homelessness to securing an a�ordable market-rate housing solution to act as the foundation to move forward with a positive and sustainable life.

of funds go directlyto our programs

93%Our Housing Navigators

work with our gueststo overcome

housing barriers$10K

is the average costto find a guest

permanent housing

Our guests can start afreshin their new home that

you helped build

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUDONATE TO MERCY HOUSE?


HOW YOU CAN HELP

organize donation drives and events in your community

ORGANIZEVOLUNTEER ADVOCATEvolunteer at one of our

Emergency Sheltersadvocate and educate

those around you

DONATEWith more than 150,000 individuals experiencing homelessness

in California and Arizona, we need your help.

provides 50 meals to individuals seeking refuge in

an Emergency Shelter

$100provides animal care to keep a

person and their animal companion together

$250provides furniture and essential

household supplies for someone moving into their

new home

$500prevents 4 families with

children from experiencing homelessness

$1,000

Fill out the attached remit envelope or scan theQR Code to donate online at mercyhouse.net/donate

Questions? Contact [email protected]


P.O. Box 1905, Santa Ana, CA 92702

WE HELP PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY BACK HOME

mercyhouse.net714.836.7188

you made a difference this year

Documents