Mercy Home for Boys and Girls

Mercy Home for Boys and Girls is an American privately-funded childcare and residential home for abused, homeless and neglected children. For nearly 120 years, Mercy Home has provided a safe haven for children from broken homes and violent, turbulent backgrounds.

Founded in 1887 in a rough Chicago neighborhood by Fr. Louis Campbell, a Chicago priest, the shelter helped house homeless, orphaned, and abandoned boys in and around the Chicago area. Under the initial guidance of the Archdiocese of Chicago, a struggling orphanage became a boys home under the Mission of our Lady of Mercy.

Some 118 years and more than 22,000 children later, abused and neglected children from broken homes continue to seek shelter, hope, and a fresh start in one of Mercy Home's fourteen residential programs.

Mission
Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, a Catholic institution, transforms lives of suffering into lives of hope and promise by providing: "A nurturing home, healing for families, the means for growth, God’s mercy in action.

''Mercy Home offers youth who seek a new beginning hope and promise of a healthy and successful future, safety, respect and opportunities for growth.

Mercy Home is committed to raising public awareness of the plight of all of society’s hurting youth in order to encourage support of programs that would enable them to begin healing.''

At Mercy Home, troubled kids are given round-the-clock care, therapy, and guidance. They are placed in schools, partnered with mentors and therapists, and assisted in every way to help them overcome the horrors of their pasts.

Mercy Home began accepting girls in 1987. Three years later, it was renamed Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Mercy Home is composed of two separate campuses where damaged and abused children are cared for--the Boys' Campus, located in Chicago's West Loop area, and the Girls' Campus, located south, in Chicago's Beverly community.

Our mission would not be possible if we did not have loyal and generous donors who support our work.

Leadership
Fr. Scott Donahue, President of Mercy Home, came to the agency in 1993 when then-President, Fr. James J. Close, invited him to assist in Mercy Home's mission. A renowned activist, philanthropist, author, and civic leader, Fr. Close served as Mercy Home's President for thirty-three years, a time in which he oversaw the greatest expansion in Mercy Home's history. Three years later, Fr. Donahue became Mercy Home's associate president. In 2006, Fr. Donahue became President of Mercy Home after Fr. Close retired in April.

Certification
Mercy Home is a licensed 501(c)(3) childcare institution and child welfare agency who has received the Council on Accreditation's highest stamp of approval for over twelve straight years.

Over 98% of Mercy Home's funding comes from private resources, and they do not depend on government agencies or the archdiocese for support.

Location

 * Boys' Campus: 1140 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60607
 * Girls' Campus: 11600 S. Longwood Dr. Chicago, IL, 60463

Services
Mercy Home provides important social services to children and families in need. Their admissions department, 'Friends First' mentoring program, and licensed therapists work to identify situations of abuse and neglect and place hurting children in residential care. Their toll-free number (877) 24-START is a valuable resource for children and families who seek to break the cycle of abuse.