June 26, 2025
At Mercy Home, we stress the importance of giving back to the community. Some of our young men spent a recent Saturday volunteering for Habitat for Humanity on Chicago’s South Side. The young men did construction and grounds-keeping work on four homes, which will shelter families in need.
“It was [great to work] with an organization trying to make housing more accessible within a city that is becoming harder to live in,” said Sarah Kelly, a youth care worker at Mercy Home.
Many of our young men are interested in careers in construction and the opportunity allowed them to learn and practice valuable skills. It also prepared them for their second Habitat for Humanity trip in August to Clarksdale, Miss.
“That kind of [volunteer] work appeals to our youth,” said youth care worker Stephen Guardino. “It’s a way to get them ready to do five days in Mississippi, and it allows them to explore some of their interests and do a hard day’s work.”
It was [great to work] with an organization trying to make housing more accessible within a city that is becoming harder to live in
Sarah Kelly, Youth Care Worker at Mercy Home
After the safety brief, the group transported gear, loaded and spread dirt and mulch in the backyards, cut wood, and completed other tasks. Even though the boys were fatigued in the beginning, they consistently worked hard throughout the seven hours of volunteering and grew stronger in their connection.
“I was so impressed with our guys, they’re really hard workers,” Guardino said. “This [opportunity] helped them set out a goal and complete it by the end of the day and do some cool work that is interesting to some of them.”
This also gave our young men a new perspective on what’s it like to have a job, and how to work together to achieve a common goal.
“We’re trying to prepare everyone to get jobs in the real world. [We want them to also learn that] sometimes the reward you get for doing a job is something you can’t really hold. It’s not going to be possessions or money, [rather], the reward is a feeling. It feels good to do things to help others,” Guardino said.
Mercy Home resident Erik loves to spend time volunteering in his community. This year, he’s consistently volunteered at the Pilsen Food Pantry and World Vision. And he had fun volunteering and connecting with his peers during this volunteer opportunity.
“Everyone was working as a team, and we had good communication skills,” Erik said. “Overall, I had a fun time and would do it again.”
We are so proud of our young men for making a difference in our community!
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