When Angelo first arrived at Mercy Home, he hadn’t been to school in over three months. Education was never really a priority in his life, and he never learned any different from his parents. Both dropped out of high school and worked low-paying jobs, which meant that money was always tight. They were also always at work, trying to earn enough to make ends meet, which meant they didn’t have time to pay much attention to what Angelo was doing.

The trouble really started when Angelo began high school. With nobody pushing him to get up and go to school each day, he slowly lost the motivation he needed to get a good education. His friends weren’t very committed to school either, so there didn’t seem to be much point in Angelo going. Without attending school regularly, Angelo began failing all of his classes. Eventually, he was kicked out of school for tardiness and absences.

A New Way Forward

At first, Angelo was relieved to be free of any pressure to attend school. But as he started to watch his parents struggle day in and day out, he began to wonder what his own future would look like. He didn’t want to work multiple low-paying jobs and struggle to pay his bills. He wanted to get back on track but had no idea where to start.

Angelo sometimes went to the local YMCA to play basketball. While he was there, he saw a flier for Mercy Home. Intrigued, he decided to do some more research on the internet.

With fresh determination, Angelo got to work after moving into our Home. Our Education Resources department helped him enroll in a new high school where he could have a fresh start. With the support of our coworkers and tutors, he began devoting more time to his studies. And this past spring, he graduated high school with a perfect attendance award for his senior year! He will be beginning college this fall and is looking forward to a bright future. Angelo said that the constant support he received at Mercy Home helped motivate him to keep working hard, even when things got tough.

Our Career Resources department also helped Angelo find a part-time job where he can start earning money to save for his future. Our financial literacy classes have helped him make a plan for his hard-earned money, too. 

A Prayer For A Brighter Future

I hope you will pray for Angelo, as well as the rest of our kids, throughout the summer and as they begin a new school year in the fall! You help give them the strength to grow their academic abilities and build brighter futures for themselves, even if they need to start from scratch. In return, please be assured of my prayers as well of the prayers of the entire Mercy Home family.