MISSION
Unity Acres is a House of Hospitality for men. Our mission is to provide a safe, caring and permanent home for men, particularly those who have become chronically homeless due to alcohol or substance abuse, or other factors.
When first opened in 1969, Unity Acres was envisioned by its founder, Father Raymond McVey, as a place of refuge for homeless men in Central New York and beyond. For nearly 55 years, people of faith and our residents have together put into practice the works of mercy: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, burying the dead… And Unity Acres has become a sign of hope for the men, as well as for those who have assisted in keeping Father Ray’s dream alive.
There are between 30 and 35 men living at Unity Acres at any given moment. Despite their individual troubles, the men create and maintain a serene atmosphere at the Acres. They assist one another in the many tasks necessary to create a sense of safety, sobriety and community, sharing in the work of preparing meals, doing laundry, yard work, gardening, maintenance, and the many other activities which allow Unity Acres to function and flourish. Four staff members provide administrative and other supports.
We are located at the site of the former Oswego County Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Orwell, New York, where we occupy four main buildings and several smaller outbuildings on 136 acres of mostly forested land. Also on the Unity Acres property is Saint Martin de Porres Cemetery, where over 240 former residents, staff members and volunteers are buried. One third of the graves at St. Martin’s are the graves of veterans.
Residents receive food, clothing and shelter. After a short ‘settling-in’ period, new residents are assigned a single private room. Those who have a monthly income donate a portion of their income in order to defray expenses. Those without any other source of income are given a small daily gratuity. Those who are capable of physical or other labor participate in a broad variety of activities necessary for the day-to-day operation of Unity Acres.
An AA meeting is conducted in the dining hall on a weekly basis. Liturgy of the Word with Eucharist is celebrated in Unity Acres’ Sacred Heart Chapel Sunday mornings.
Unity Acres was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 2000, and is funded largely from donations, both cash and in-kind, from individual benefactors, parishes and other religious congregations or community organizations, and from payments from our residents. Unity Acres also receives, from time to time, grants and bequests. Unity Acres does not seek or receive any direct funding from government.