WHAT WE DO

Click an area below to learn more about House of Mercy:

Our Services

Our History

Our Partners

Our Services

SHELTER

At House of Mercy, we provide shelter, care, and resources to adults experiencing homelessness. 

  • Our 76-bed shelter is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, ensuring that anyone in need always has a safe place to stay.

  • Every day, we offer three nutritious meals to our guests. 

  • Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we also provide access to our clothes closet, stocked with clothing, outerwear, and toiletries.

  • Our dedicated team of four onsite caseworkers works one-on-one with guests to help them overcome the barriers to independent living. We assist with securing identification and essential documents, offer apartment search guidance, and connect guests with the services they need.

  • Transportation should never be a barrier to stability. Through our partnership with RTS, we provide bus passes to our guests. We also offer rides in our shelter van to health care appointments, Department of Human Services meetings, and job interviews.

 

FOOD PANTRY

Our community food pantry distributes non-perishable groceries to anyone in need. 

The food pantry operates every Wednesday, and Thursday (10-11:45am & 1-2:45pm).

 

FLIPA PARTICIPATION

House of Mercy is a proud member of the Forward Leading Integrated Provider Association (FLIPA) and the Social Care Network. This partnership helps us connect guests with vital services beyond shelter, supporting their journey toward stability and health.

If you need additional support, please click findhelp.org.

Our History

House of Mercy began not as a building, but as a calling. 

In 1985, fierce, faithful, and unstoppable Sister Grace Miller answered that call. Alongside Sister Rita and C.W. Earlsey, her earliest allies and soul siblings in this work, she opened a small house on Central Park for Rochester’s unhoused. 

Word spread. The doors barely closed again.

For decades, the trio served from Hudson Avenue, where every hallway told a story of survival. They created more than shelter; they built a community stitched together with resilience and grace, inspiring hope in the face of adversity. But the space sagged under the weight of so much need. Duct tape held walls. Love held everything else.

 

Learn More.

Our Partners

House of Mercy is grateful for the support of our community partners:

Abilene Bar & Grill

Abundance Food Co-op

Aladdin’s Natural Eatery

Arbor Loft

Arc of Monroe

Bethlehem Family Shelter

Bhoja.org  

Bond, Schoeneck & King

C&S Companies

Captivate Media

CaptiveAire, East Rochester

CDS Monarch, Inc.

Cheesecake Factory, Rochester

Christa Construction

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

City of Rochester Grants Pass Resistance Organization

Congressman Joe Morelle’s Office

Cool Tropics

County Executive Adam Bello’s Office

Crazy Dog T-Shirts

Creative Wellness Opportunities

Cure

Dimitri House

Echo Missions Ministry

FoodLink

G.W. Martin, Inc.

Geva Theatre

Healing Springs

Home Depot, Irondequoit

Hope Dealers

Innovative Pest Management

Jordan Health Center

LaBella Associates

Lento

Loowit Marketing & Management, LLC

Maker Faire Rochester

Mayor Malik Evans’ Office

Mental Health Association of New York

Miss Julie’s House of Beauty

OFC Creations

Peace Village, Inc.

Person Centered Housing Options

Pirate Toy Fund

Professional Laundry Services

RADEC Electric

Radio Social

ROC Holiday Village

Rochester Community Bikes

Rochester Interfaith Development Corp

Rochester Museum and Science Center

Rochester RedWings

Ryan Mechanical

Schneiderman’s Hardware

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish

Street for Christ

Telperion Solutions Groups, LLC

The Buddhahood

The Cleaning Solution

The NYS Office of Temporary Disability and the Homeless Housing Assistance Program

The Vineyard Farm

Toys4Tots

Wakem Up Ministry