Stability is something that many of our kids long for, when they arrive at our door. They often come to us from volatile living situations where abuse, poverty, and neglect was commonplace.

With constant love, support, and care—sometimes for the first time ever—our kids truly begin to flourish. They are able to adjust their mindset so that they do more than merely survive they thrive.

I thought of the many transformations I’ve witnessed at Mercy Home when 16-year-old Elizabeth came to our door. It was evident she had spent most of her life simply trying to survive. Elizabeth grew up with a mentally ill mother and no father. Life was always unpredictable. Her mom never stayed in one place for long. Sometimes Elizabeth and her mother were evicted from apartments because her mother could never afford to pay the rent. Other times her mother would simply decide to move without warning. The only escape for Elizabeth was school—she liked learning and earned good grades. Unfortunately, because she moved so much, she changed schools often. This made it hard to make friends and keep up with her work.

“It was evident she [Elizabeth] had spent most of her life simply trying to survive.”

As Elizabeth got older, her mother grew more unstable. They began to move around even more frequently. When her mom was at her worst, she made it clear she viewed Elizabeth as a burden. Eventually things got so bad that Elizabeth’s mom stopped working entirely, and they had to go live in a shelter. Living at a shelter was especially difficult for Elizabeth. She worried that the other kids at school would find out. It was hard for her to sleep. Sometimes her mother would disappear for days at a time, leaving her alone at the shelter.

Elizabeth knew that she needed to find another place to live. She began searching on the internet and found Mercy Home. The more she learned about us, the more she was sure that it was the best place she could be. She contacted us and moved in right away. The first few months at Mercy Home had both high and low points for Elizabeth. She was relieved to have a safe place to go each night. She was also grateful for the chance to work with a tutor to get caught up on her schoolwork.

“Elizabeth eventually revealed that our Home was the first place where she ever felt welcomed.”

However, it was difficult for Elizabeth to open up to staff or to the other girls. She was embarrassed about living in a shelter and didn’t want to discuss some of the things that had happened to her growing up. She had never spent a long period of time around a stable adult, so it was difficult for her to trust our staff. After a while, Elizabeth began to realize that Mercy Home truly would be a constant in her life. She found that she was always treated kindly by our staff, even when she had a bad day. She began spending more time with the other girls and sharing her experiences. It took some time, and it wasn’t always easy, but she grew comfortable being with us. Elizabeth eventually revealed that our Home was the first place where she ever felt welcomed.

Today, Elizabeth is thriving, thanks to your love and support. Thank you for always keeping our kids in your prayers!

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A SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE SAKE OF MERCY’S KIDS AND FOR OUR TELEVISED SUNDAY MASS

You can make a difference in the life of a troubled child. Fr. Scott needs Partners to pray for our kids at Mercy Home–and also faithful Partners to help broadcast Sunday Mass at Mercy Home.

By pledging your support and your prayers, you’re offering a precious gift to Mercy’s kids–and helping our community of faith join together every week.

The boys and girls of Mercy Home are very proud of the difference they are able to make just by sharing their time and heart with others. None of this would be possible without our kind, faithful supporters, for not only sharing their friendship but for also setting an example of generosity and compassion for them to follow. During this month, please keep the young people of Mercy Home and all of our generous benefactors in your thoughts and prayers.