Your whole life can change in an instant. It only takes one event for everything to become totally different. That moment came for Alex when his father was arrested and received a lengthy prison sentence. When Alex’s father went to prison, his whole world fell apart. His dad had supported his family, and now that income was gone. His mom had to take several jobs to make up the difference, and that left Alex with a lot of new responsibilities.

To Alex, it felt like one day he was a normal kid and the next he was in charge of running a household. He cared for his siblings, making sure they ate dinner and finished their homework. He did the grocery shopping and took a job to help pay the bills. He even cleaned the house and did the laundry to help out his mom.

These new responsibilities left Alex feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. There was no time to think about anything but making sure his family was okay. He didn’t have time to think about his schoolwork. He used to love playing the trumpet in his school band, but with no time to practice, he was forced to quit. Nothing was the same anymore, and Alex wondered if he would ever feel like a kid again.

Alex began to consider dropping out of school so he could work full time and provide more support to his family. He mentioned this to one of his teachers at school, and she told him there were other options. And then she told him about Mercy Home.

Although Alex was intrigued by the idea of having a place to go to where he could feel like a kid again, he resisted because he was worried about what might happen to his family if he did. But after several more exhausting weeks, Alex decided that it was worth looking into Mercy Home.

After a tour, where Alex learned more about the support Mercy Home provided, he knew that if he had any chance at a successful future, he needed to move in. And he also found out that Mercy Home would provide his family with the support they needed while his father served out his prison sentence.

Now, with six months at Mercy Home under his belt, Alex feels much more optimistic about the future. With the help of his tutors, he was able to get caught up in school. He has started playing the trumpet again and rejoined the school band. And he has plenty of time to be a kid, without adult worries weighing on him.

Alex has also been talking to his therapist about the stressors in his life and learning healthy ways to deal with them. He said that these conversations have taken a huge weight from his shoulders.

I am truly thankful for loving friends like you, who make it possible to give our children one of the most precious gifts they can receive: their childhood back. It is because of your support and prayers that they can look forward to bright futures!

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.