Christa Rooks

About Christa Rooks

Christa Rooks is the Communications Coordinator at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. Christa was previously the editor of a weekly newspaper on the North Shore of Chicago, where she covered everything local news. When not writing, she can be found declaring her love for Diet Coke to anyone who will listen.

Entries by Christa Rooks

Coworker Corner: Edgar Zavala

September 10, 2020 /0 Comments/in About Mercy Home /by Christa Rooks

After completing the Year Up program, Edgar Zavala, a data entry operator and liaison for the Associate Board, quickly got involved at Mercy Home.

Returning to Love, Warmth, and Happiness

September 9, 2020 /0 Comments/in Stories /by Christa Rooks

Kali’s life turned upside down when she turned 16. Though things had been rocky for a while, the final straw came when Kali and her mother were evicted from their apartment. The eviction took Kali completely by surprise. “My mother wasn’t home when it happened,” Kali remembered. Hurt by the breach of trust, Kali decided […]

Coworker Corner: Hassan Chaudhry

September 8, 2020 /0 Comments/in About Mercy Home /by Christa Rooks

As the manager of program evaluation, Hassan Chaudhry measures the efficacy of the work done at Mercy Home. He looks at the effectiveness of what the Home does, what makes it effective, and how it can be made better.

Planning for a Successful School Year

September 8, 2020 /0 Comments/in Home Updates /by Christa Rooks

As the pandemic necessitates e-learning for the majority of Mercy Home’s children, our coworkers have been hard at work to ensure our children’s success in school, no matter where they learn.

Mercy Home Pilots New Virtual Mentoring Model

August 28, 2020 /0 Comments/in Mentoring /by Christa Rooks

Mercy Home’s youth mentoring program recently completed piloting its brand new virtual mentoring model, using six mentor/mentee matches from the Friends First program.

Coworker Corner: Brittany Terrell

August 25, 2020 /0 Comments/in About Mercy Home /by Christa Rooks

As the director of education resources, Brittany Terrell runs and coordinates the education department for the younger boys at Mercy Home. Her work with tutors and our after-school programs helps our kids succeed.

ECR Coworkers Bring Creativity to Summer Enrichment

August 20, 2020 /0 Comments/in Home Updates /by Christa Rooks

Summer break from school has a downside: learning loss, known as the summer slide. Mercy Home prevents this loss through summer enrichment, which allows our kids to learn and have fun.

Coworker Corner: Mario Tamayo

August 12, 2020 /0 Comments/in About Mercy Home /by Christa Rooks

As the manager of youth programs operations, Mario Tamayo has countless responsibilities as he cares for Mercy Home’s kids. But the most rewarding part of his job is the time he spends with the kids and coworkers.

Career Panel Discussion Inspires Our Young Men

August 11, 2020 /0 Comments/in Friends of Mercy Home /by Christa Rooks

Former Mercy Home resident and Board of Regents member Eddie Gamble held a career panel with our young men to give them advice and encouragement.

ComEd Helps Mercy Home’s Kids Dive into STEM

August 3, 2020 /0 Comments/in Friends of Mercy Home /by Christa Rooks

Mercy Home recently partnered with ComEd to provide STEM workshops for our young men and women. These workshops allowed our kids to interact with engineers and try some hands-on activities.