Mercy Holistic Ministry - Showers for the Homeless

What we do      

Have you ever taken a much-needed shower and said, “I feel human again”? 

Imagine not having access to a basic need like personal cleanliness. 

Mercy Holistic Ministry delivers not just a hot shower but also clean clothes and even a haircut to those who need them the most. Connecting through heartfelt compassion and love, we aim to restore dignity and hope, establish trusting relationships, and contribute to building a healthier community.

About our founders

Berhanu, Miheret, and their family are originally from Ethiopia, and moved to Sacramento, California from Dubai in 2007. With a passion for helping people who are in need, their goal is for Mercy Holistic Ministry (MHM) to be a bridge between the homeless community and available resources. The ultimate vision is to show the love of Christ for everyone and to see a person’s life changed to the point that they are able two stand on their own feet.

Right now

At present the shower trailer is active every Tuesday and Saturday in downtown Sacramento at 13th and C streets. Once a month it goes to Bethany Presbyterian Church at 24th and Fruitridge in South Sacramento and to Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church at 3407 Altos Way in Del Paso, North Sacramento. Since 2021 we have provided more than 10,000 hot showers and 900 haircuts! We are proud of those numbers, but we want to do more.

Next steps

"More" looks like a 4th day in a location to be determined. First Lutheran Church Yuba City has invited us to set up at their location. Help us cover the expenses of these new locations.

What your donation would do

We all know hot water costs money. So do clean towels, new underwear and socks, and hygiene kits. Your generosity would provide those for our guests, along with counseling and homeless navigation services. We aim to impart dignity and build trusting relationships in order to help our guests move from their present situations into better and better ones, ultimately to sustainable housing.

Most importantly: Your donation would allow us to expand to a 3rd day each week mentioned above, and new sites in other areas (like Yuba City). Let's keep that shower trailer busy!

Our staff

We are proud to employ a site manager and assistant as well as an apprentice barber - men who once were recipients of our services. (Yes, that means they were formerly homeless themselves.) Berhanu is executive director and is busy building relationships in the community and even other parts of the state with individuals, corporations, churches, governmental entities, and anyone who will listen to his compelling and loving synopsis of MHM. We also have 2 part time admin team members who handle the myriad of behind-the-scenes details common to every organization. We are all committed to the core values and mission of MHM and want to see it grow to be able to serve more people.

Extras

Partnering with St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Rocklin, we host a Bike Giveaway and free bike repair and maintenance three times a year, at our current Saturday location at 13th and C streets in downtown Sacramento. Do you have a bike or two you don’t use anymore? You can take them to St. Matthew Lutheran Church at 3785 Placer Corporate Drive, Rocklin, Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

Once a week, Berhanu and some team members visit our partner the Fourth and Hope organization in Woodland to provide hope through a meal and a message. 

Did we mention haircuts? Our apprentice barber plus an occasional volunteer add to the dignity of our guests by providing a fresh cut. Each shower guest receives brand new underwear and socks plus can select from our clean gently used clothing and shoes. Kudos to Bombas sock company - they really do give away a lot of socks.