What Jayla Wants for Christmas
Home for the holidays was an idea that didn’t mean much to Jayla. In fact, the idea of celebrating Christmas...
September 23, 2026
November 10, 2016
“DANIEL’S BASICALLY BEEN LIKE MY DAD.”
Watch coworker Daniel Nelson share his journey from growing up surrounded by violence on the South Side of Chicago to gang violence to saving lives here at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls.
“The kids that I work with are the kids that I grew up with. The kids that I work with are me,” he says.
Entwined with his story is that of Joanne, a former Mercy Home youth, who experienced a serious medical hardship after leaving our care. She recalls how Daniel stood by her side as she overcame all odds and made a miraculous recovery. “It’s really significant to have somebody value you that much,” she says.
Home for the holidays was an idea that didn’t mean much to Jayla. In fact, the idea of celebrating Christmas...
September 23, 2026
By the time Maya moved into Mercy Home, it had been months since she had last been to school. It...
August 1, 2026
As the middle child in a large family, Jordan was used to getting lost in the shuffle. His parents didn’t...
April 24, 2026
Dear Father Scott: You got a great program going for you and that is why I like to do something for it. As long as I can give to what “help” is given to children I am glad your program exists. Chicago needs this help.