The Sisters of Mercy established McAuley Residence in Portland, Maine to meet the needs of homeless, at-risk women and children, continuing the mission begun by their foundress Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland. Its operating philosophy is that each person, regardless of race, color, sexual orientation or creed is valuable and deserves the basic human right to shelter, dignity and self-determination.
McAuley Residence welcomed its first resident on March 25, 1988. Since then, more than 200 women and children have made McAuley 
Residence their home while learning how to create a more productive and
self-reliant future for themselves.
A department of Mercy Hospital, today McAuley Residence is a respected
community resource. Its comprehensive transitional housing program provides
life skills counseling, emotional support, and mentoring to women in need – all within the framework of Mercy’s Christian values. Most importantly, it helps women improve their lives in a real and meaningful way.