About Us
Filling Homes is a faith based not for profit organization that provides services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Henry, Fulton, Williams, and Defiance Counties. There are 42 Lutheran Church congregations in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan which comprise the corporate membership of Filling Memorial Home of Mercy Inc.
In our Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) we care for those who are medically fragile or require physical assistance. Through our Community Services program, we serve individuals in-group settings.
Individuals have a wide range of abilities and require different levels of support. Filling Homes works to tailor our services to meet a person’s needs.
We are unique in our ability to serve those with complex health requirements with no age restrictions for placement. Our services range from complete twenty-four hours a day seven days a week care to only a few hours a week of supervision. The level of service depends upon the individual’s needs and wishes.
It is our commitment to provide the highest quality of services that ensure a person’s health, safety, and well being.
Filling Homes is…
- An affiliated Social Ministry Organization of the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA).
- A recognized Service Organization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LC-MS).
- An Intermediate Care Facility for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ICF/IDD).
- Licensed by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) as an agency provider of Supported Living Services and Medicaid Waiver Services throughout the State of Ohio.
- A member of Lutheran Services in America (LSA), and a founding member of the Lutheran Services in America – Disabilities Network (LSA-DN).
- A sponsoring member of LSA-Ohio.
- A founding member of the Values & Faith Alliance (VFA).
- Affiliated with the Four Lutheran Agencies in Northwest Ohio.
- A 501 (C) (3), making gifts and contributions tax deductible according to the law.
Our History
An Inspiring Venture of Faith
The construction of the original Filling Home of Mercy was made possible by the generosity of Mrs. Carrie Filling Vajen. The establishment of this “Home of Mercy” grew naturally out of her sincere Christian desire to provide a place of refuge and care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who would find it difficult to receive care anywhere else. Carrie donated the Filling Family homestead to be used as the site for this home, plus farm ground to help support it. Very unselfishly, she wanted the Home to be a memorial, not to herself, but to the whole Filling family.
The original building opened in September 1959, and served 13 adults and 16 children. Over the years, Filling Homes has changed to meet the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Not only has our original building made physical changes, we have worked diligently to tailor our services to meet the unique and specific wants and requirements of each person.
Filling Homes is currently licensed to serve 51 individuals at our base facility and 12 clients in group home settings. Additionally, an equal number of people are served through our community services program, and over 120 in our day program in Henry, Williams, Fulton, and Defiance Counties.
Please feel free to browse the complete historical timeline (Historical Timeline) of Filling Homes to see the many changes we have made over the years.