At this year's Champions of Hope Gala, Tender Mercies was presented with the Community Partner Award. Many in the audience did not know that Tender Mercies was born out of an idea by three clergymen living in Over-the-Rhine. They were concerned about the number of homeless individuals who were suffering from mental illness and about the lack of safe housing for them. In 1985, they took action. Starting with two apartments, Tender Mercies was born.
GCBHS and Tender Mercies have been formally working together for over 25 years now. Tender Mercies was part of the initial launch of PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness), which links individuals who have a mental illness and are experiencing homelessness, to community resources. That partnership has continued ever since. According to GCBHS COO, Jeff Kirschner, “We have had the great privilege of working side by side providing support and treatment services to those moving from homelessness into Tender Mercies Housing.”
Presently Tender Mercies operates 199 units that have housed over 3500 people (many of whom were GCBHS clients) over the past 39 years.
