January 4, 2024

Mercy Home held its annual Community Care Christmas party in December, giving former residents a chance to reconnect with their extended Mercy Home family. The event featured dinner, a donation area, a toy station, a photo booth, kiddie corner, and of course, a visit from our old friend Dreezy Claus, aka Chicago’s Black Santa. 

An integral part of Mercy Home’s continuum of care, Community Care offers support and belonging for former residents after they transition from our residential programs while also extending support for families. This way, members of our Mercy Home family can continue to thrive, not just survive, after their time at Mercy Home. 

“The Christmas Party is basically a family gathering,” Community Care Coordinator Ashley Monroe Turner said. “We invite all our former members and their families and their kids and congregate with each other where they can mingle. Sometimes staff come and they are able to see their former youth. They’re able to see Santa, take pictures, catch up on old times, and get toys.” 

Monroe Turner said that it was the largest group she had ever heard of for the party: 750 people RSVP’d to attend the event and another 100 volunteered.  

A large group of Amtrak employees also attended as volunteers. The connection with the passenger rail company grew after a former Mercy Home volunteer became a part of Amtrack’s community relations team. Since then, he wanted to know how the company could get involved in supporting our work. “It shows how one conversation can lead to a lot of different things,” Jim Marrese, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Business, said. 

Trading firm Optiver was also on hand to volunteer, as well provide Christmas gifts to kids currently living at Mercy Home. 

The event not only featured former Mercy Home kids and their families, but also members of the Friends First Program, which supports youth in the Chicagoland area. 

“The mentor and mentee program [Friends First] is for youth that don’t need the full support of Mercy Home, but they do need a little assistance,” Monroe Turner said. “They meet with them, they take them on outings.” 

As members filed in, they had catered food that included vegan options, Latine-themed fare, and soul food. 

“Daniel [Nelson] always wants to support Black or brown entrepreneurs,” Monroe Turner said. “Each year we try to find a brown or black vendor to cater one of our events.” 

Often, families are struggling to purchase food during the holiday season. That’s why the party featured a donation area with clothing and non-perishable food items for the attendees. 

Former Mercy Home resident Peter also offered his services as emcee for the evening. His cheerful and energetic participation kept spirits bright during the entire evening for our guests. 

The children in attendance also received Christmas toys and had the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Dreezy Claus, a former Mercy Home coworker and Chicago’s Black Santa.  

“It gives our members and their kids an opportunity to see a Santa that looks like them or someone similar to them,” Monroe Turner said. “Even with his traditions, he’s not very traditional. He has gray locks; his beard is gray. He doesn’t have the traditional rosy cheeks and white beard that a traditional Santa would have. I think our members appreciate that.” 

This event is a great reminder to former residents who have not stayed in close contact with Mercy Home since moving out that they are always welcome at the Home. Others who regularly attend drop-ins and are formally engaged also attended and reconnected with other former youth.