Annual Mercy Fest Celebrates Summer, Shares Community Resources

August 18, 2025

A bit of summer rain couldn’t wash away the joy, community building, and fun at the third annual Mercy Fest, a summer festival hosted recently by our Community Care program. Attendees included Community Care members (former residents and their families and Friends First mentors and mentees) and was open to young people currently living at Mercy Home. 

While the event was initially planned for outdoors, the weather forced us to move the hundreds of guests and volunteers into our indoor soccer facility, a vast space on our downtown Chicago campus that can accommodate large gatherings of this kind.  Volunteers, vendors, and at least a dozen community partners were on hand to help us provide families and children with the resources and supplies they’ll need to succeed in the new school year and beyond while offering fun activities for children.  

Premium supermarket chain Mariano’s generously provided food for the event, along with Butch McGuire’s.  

There was no shortage of activities for the children to enjoy at Mercy Fest, which featured a bouncy house, carnival games, face painting, balloon art, slime making, airbrush tattoos, crafts, and raffle prizes and more. Our friends from the Chicago Fire Department even showed up with a fire truck to let the families sit in the backseat and take pictures. 

While guests had fun, danced, and enjoyed each other’s company, they also lined up to receive donated backpacks, school supplies, clothes, toys, and hygiene items. Guests and coworkers were also able to get vaccines provided by Mariano’s Health and visit information booths hosted by our community partners to get information and resources. Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, Signature Bank, and Addison Group generously donated the school supplies, and Target donated the hygiene items. 

[Mercy Fest] was like a big family reunion

Rickey Miller, care manager of Community Care

Not only did our volunteers and our coworkers come ready to help; they also contributed to making this event joyful and celebratory for guests, dancing and to tune spun by a deejay throughout the entire event. 

Carlos Huezo, the Community Relations Manager at UPS Foundation, and 10 of his coworkers had a great time volunteering at the event.  

“We’re community partners right down the street from each other, and we love seeing the amazing work that Mercy Home does, and the involvement they have with the youth around the community,” Huezo said. 

The event welcomed volunteer groups from the Chicago White Sox, the West Loop Target store, AArete, and Signature Bank.   

Community Care member Monique described the event as full of love. 

“There’s a lot of love in this place [at Mercy Home],” Williams said. “All of my sons’ needs were met and mines as well. I really appreciate all that [Mercy Home and the donors] do for my family. I probably wouldn’t even still have a family had it not be for the things that Mercy Home provides me and my family.” 

There’s a lot of love in this place [at Mercy Home]

Monique Williams

Abby, a Community Care member attended the event with her family. She was excited that her and her sisters received needed items like school supplies, and that both of her sisters won brand new bikes from the raffle. 

“It was nice to see everybody that I haven’t seen in a while,” Abby said. “The donations were great.” 

This event would not have been possible without our generous donors, community partners, and volunteers. 

“To the donors and volunteers, know that [you are] contributing to the family atmosphere you’re creating,” Miller said. “You’re helping people that may not feel like they belong.” 

“Thank you, Mercy Home, and thank you to the donors!” Abby added. 

We are truly grateful for all of our community partners and volunteer groups who made this event a success, including employees from Optiver who helped set up the event in the morning.