Every February on Valentine’s Day, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be surrounded by loving friends and family. And then I see our kids as they celebrate this holiday with their friends—opening cards and eating sweet treats. My heart swells as I see these kids enjoy all that comes with being part of a loving Home and family, sometimes for the first time. And I am filled with gratitude towards friends like you—friends who make sure that each and every one of these children know what it is to feel loved.

When I think of what things were like for some of our kids before coming to Mercy Home, my heart breaks a little. My mind immediately goes to our young woman, Alexis, who rarely heard a loving word from anybody—a parent, a teacher, or a friend—before coming to our Home.

You see, Alexis’s birth mother was addicted to drugs and Alexis was removed from her home not long after being born. She grew up instead in a foster home with a lot of kids and not much attention. Her foster parents didn’t have enough time to help her with her homework, so she rarely got good grades. And she was painfully shy, so much that the idea of trying to make friends petrified her. As a result, Alexis spent much of her time alone, assuming that nobody would notice if she was around or not. She had no idea what it might feel like to be loved.

Alexis spent many years this way, until she began high school. It was then that she began thinking more about her future and the steps she would need to take to accomplish goals she might have. She knew that her below-average grades and lack of relationships would be a detriment to her future success. So she did something that is difficult even for adults—ask for help.

In her search for resources to help her overcome her many past struggles, Alexis discovered Mercy Home. Though making such a big step was scary for her, she decided to move in. At first everything was a struggle for her.

Nobody ever taught Alexis how to study, and it took many hours with her tutors to catch up in school. But that wasn’t even the hardest part. Still extremely shy, Alexis barely spoke to anyone the first several months she lived here. She figured none of the other girls would want to be her friend, anyway.

But then, slowly, Alexis began to adjust to life at Mercy Home. She began joining in with the others girls during activities and talking more at dinner. She began opening up to our staff about her past experiences. She began to truly understand what it means to be part of a loving family, after so many years of never experiencing anything like it.

I hope you know how much your partnership means to the children of Mercy Home! Your prayers ensure that all of all kids are able to heal from painful pasts while learning and growing every day. Kids like Alexis are able to embrace brighter futures because of all you do.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your dedication to our young people. We all feel truly blessed by your commitment as a faithful Partner in Prayer, and we are incredibly grateful.

A special partnership for the sake of Mercy’s kids and for our Sunday TV 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.