Building a Legacy: How One Vision Sparked a Movement
The weight of history sits heavy on the streets of Vacaville. For most, the hum of the city fades into the routine of daily life. But for Paul McGuire, every street corner, every building, every name tells a story—one of resilience, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of a better future.
Paul isn't just a man with a vision. He is the foundation upon which Opportunity House was built. A former Air Force pilot who faced the depths of uncertainty in Vietnam, he returned with a singular mission: to protect lives, not take them. And that mission led him here—to a town that didn’t yet understand the need for change.
Today, Opportunity House is a a nonprofit with an 85% success rate, housing and empowering over 100 people annually. But the journey here wasn’t paved with gold. It was carved out of resistance, built through battles against doubt, and cemented by the belief that homelessness is not a permanent state—it is a challenge that can be overcome.
But to understand where Opportunity House is now, you first have to understand where it started.
A Fight Worth Having
The call for help came not from a government office but from church doors—doors that were overwhelmed by desperate knocks, by voices asking for shelter, for warmth, for hope. For years, Paul worked through St. Vincent de Paul, helping families pay their PG&E bills, covering half of a month’s rent, and offering temporary relief.
But it wasn’t enough.
"I was frustrated," Paul recalls. "Nobody else seemed to be, but I was. You give someone half their rent one month, and then what? It doesn't help them the next month. It was a band-aid, not a solution."
Paul understood one truth: You can’t just save a person. You have to save the family. And to do that, they needed a facility—a place where people could find stability, support, and the tools to reclaim their independence.
He bought the land on Catherine Street, right off Main. He pulled together 30 contractors, all willing to donate their time if he could cover the materials. Opportunity House was beginning to take shape.
The Power of a Proven Solution
Fast forward to today, and Opportunity House is no longer fighting for its right to exist—it’s fighting to expand.
With an 85% success rate, the program has defied expectations.
What does that mean? It means that nearly nine out of ten people who come through Opportunity House don’t just survive—they thrive. They go from homelessness to full employment, from instability to financial independence, in two to three years.
The solution isn’t complicated. But it does require commitment.
Opportunity House is built on three key pillars:
Sober Living & Accountability – Residents must be committed to sobriety, and unlike many government-funded shelters, drug testing is non-negotiable.
Financial Education & Employment – Within weeks, Opportunity House secures jobs for those who can work, enforcing savings policies to build financial independence.
Long-Term Stability – Success isn’t just getting out of homelessness—it’s never going back. The program follows individuals beyond shelter walls, ensuring they don’t just survive but thrive.
The Million-Dollar Need
Paul knows the numbers. He’s run the numbers.
To keep Opportunity House running as it should be, they need one million dollars a year.
That’s the cost of changing lives at scale.
That doesn’t even cover expansion or the next phase of growth—additional shared living homes for those who have completed the program but aren’t yet ready to be fully on their own.
Because that’s the real challenge: What happens when someone graduates from the program?
Right now, many leave with savings, a job, and a future—but no affordable housing. Rent in the area is $2,200+ a month. A minimum-wage job doesn’t cover it.
The next step is a network of small community homes—transitional, supportive, and stable.
Paul’s vision? Four-bedroom homes, shared by graduates, create a support system that ensures long-term success.
Because getting someone off the street isn’t the goal. Keeping them off is.
Why Businesses Should Invest in the Solution
That’s why private businesses are the key to real change.
👉 What does a business get by investing in Opportunity House?
✅ A pipeline of hard-working employees – Jobs opportunities are presented to residents, and businesses gain access to dedicated, motivated individuals.
✅ A stronger local economy – Homelessness isn’t just a social issue—it’s a financial one. The more people who are housed, employed, and contributing, the stronger the local economy becomes.
✅ Tangible, measurable impact – Opportunity House has real data, real success rates, and real results.
"We don’t need handouts," Paul says. "We need partners."
The Next Chapter
Paul McGuire has fought this battle for decades. And though he’s stepped down from the board, his mission isn’t over.
His dream is bigger than what exists today. He sees a future where Opportunity House isn’t just a single location, but a model for cities everywhere.
Where corporations invest in success.
Where local businesses see the value in hiring graduates.
Where every city understands that homelessness isn’t a dead end—it’s a problem with a solution.
But solutions need funding.
This is where you come in.
📍 Visit & Shop – Support our mission at the Fairfield thrift store, 1819 N Texas St
💙 Donate – Every dollar fuels another success story: www.opportunity.house/donate
🤝 Volunteer – Be the bridge for someone’s next chapter: www.opportunity.house/volunteer
This isn’t charity.
This is an investment in the future.
The question isn’t whether the solution exists.
It’s whether we’re willing to fight for it.
