West Loop Campus Tour
Welcome to our West Loop Campus
The headquarters of Mercy Home since 1889, only two years after its founding, the West Loop campus serves Chicago’s young men. The location in Chicago’s West Loop allows our young men to take an active role in the community—many work in nearby businesses and participate in neighborhood projects. The entrance to our West Loop Campus is adorned by a Guardian Angel statue identical to the one at our Walsh Campus.
Little Chapel
Also called the Tichenor Family Chapel, this beautiful sanctuary was a gift from longtime Mercy Home benefactors Art and Marj Tichenor. Featuring a vaulted copper roof and water-themed stained glass windows, this tranquil space gives our young men a space for quiet reflection.
Big Chapel
Officially named the Our Lady of Mercy Chapel, this place of worship is the filming location of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home. This televised Sunday Mass is broadcast on WGN in Chicago each Sunday and viewed by thousands each week.
Dorm
One of ten residential programs, or homes, at the West Loop campus, Noha Home serves some of our youngest residents. All of our residents are placed in homes based on age, developmental and therapeutic needs. Each home provides a healthy, nurturing, and safe living space where the children can learn and grow.
Living Area
Decorated with our young men in mind, the living space of each of our homes allows our young men to gather for everything from socializing to group therapy sessions. Living spaces like this one are meant to bring a sense of comfort, community, and safety to our young men.
Kitchenette
One of the important skills our kids learn while at Mercy Home is how to cook age-appropriate meals (and clean up afterward!). Each home is equipped with a kitchen where our young men can make meals and enjoy them together, much like a family would. Outside of meal time, the kitchen table is also a great space to gather to play games or have conversations.
Learning Center
We are committed to our kids’ education! The West Loop Campus has a Learning Center that contains books, computers, and a classroom space where our kids go for tutoring, to grab something to read, or study. Some of our kids also have their first job in the Learning Center, where they help put together bulletin boards and feed the fish!
Fitness Center
The West Loop Campus’s Fitness Center is the perfect place to stay in shape! With a racquetball court, exercise machines, weights, and even a boxing ring, there is something for our kids who want to work out. Mercy Home also hold after-school programs that guide our boys in fun and safe workouts. A fun fact: many boxing greats made stops to train in our ring in the 1950s and 1960s, including Muhammed Ali (then Cassius Clay), Tony Zale, and Jack Dempsey.
Gym
The Edward J. and Marie J. Noha Gym is a favorite place of many of our young men! Many of them visit multiple times weekly to play basketball together, which is great way for them to learn teamwork, sportsmanship, and have fun. Our Hoops to Homework program games are also held in this space, along with Illinois Inter-Agency Athletic Association basketball games. It is named for two of Mercy Home’s longtime and most beloved donors.
Basketball Court
Did we mention our young men really like basketball? When the weather is nice, you can find our boys playing together on this outdoor court. It is also a great place for our homes to gather for parties and events during the summer.
Garden
The West Loop Campus has its very own garden, where we grow vegetables that are served in our cafeteria during the summer months. While some coworkers work in the garden, many of our young men also take time planting, weeding, and caring for the plants growing. It’s a great way for our kids to learn about sustainability and gardening!