About McHenry House
Since 1987 McHenry House Tracy Family Shelter has responded to the needs of families in crisis from Tracy and regions surrounding the City. Heads of Households, who are suddenly homeless or need help to recover their ability to provide a home for their children, come to us.
Our mission is to empower families to self-sufficiency. This means that we hope that McHenry House is the last shelter or temporary housing program that the families we serve will need. We offer a counseling, guidance, and referrals for employment, housing, medical care, and treatment for addictions. We also assist with education for the children and financial planning services for heads of households.
Our main house is a Victorian style home large enough to accommodate up to seven families per day. Homeless families share in household chores and the head of the household meets daily with the case manager to review problems and issues facing the family. A course of action is agreed upon and a time line is established for each family.
McHenry House offers an 8-10 week Family Crisis Intervention Program. When these families come to the McHenry House, they have two weeks to find a full time job. Any member of the family older than eighteen years of age has to be drug screened. The children have to be enrolled in local schools within the next three days after the parents start the program. McHenry House provides food and shelter from eight to twelve weeks. These families have to save 90% of their money as long as they are staying at the shelter. This will be the money that will be used for their first month rent and deposit. It is mandatory that our clients attend our on site classes in the evening. They have to attend support groups, parenting classes, women’s groups and a money management class as long as they are here at the house. The children are required to attend homework club everyday from Monday to Friday here at the house while the adults are attending their groups. A great sense of accomplishment is obtained by these families, so that they can become self- sufficient and not to dependent on government benefits.
McHenry House is operated by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and a staff of 6 dedicated individuals. The citizens and businesses of Tracy, United Way, San Joaquin County and government and private grants support it. Donations of clothing, household’s goods and furniture are marketed through the 2nd Time Around Thrift Store, located at 619 Central Avenue, Tracy. 2nd Time Around provides low cost goods to those in need, and a steady source of funding to the McHenry House Program. Despite of the energy that is given to the support of McHenry House, the need exceeds the demands. Additional assistance is always needed and welcome.