August 28, 2024

Youth and Associate Board join together for an afternoon of service

Our direct youth care staff encourages our young people to make connections with others and give back to those in need. They help youth organize multiple service projects throughout the year.  But recently, a member of our youth care staff and a member of our fundraising team discussed the potential for our board members to connect with our youth in meaningful ways following the success of our most recent Job Skills Workshop. At that event, board members and friends helped our young people build crucial career skills. 

Kelly Shllaku, the director of our boys campus programs, and Christopher Doherty, the associate director of our special events department, concluded that volunteerism would enable board members and youth to join forces for the good of the community while providing a personally enriching experience for participants. 

“We wanted them to come together for a purpose, not just to mingle,” Shllaku said. “If they’re doing something together for a bigger cause, then they can [view the board members as mentors] and network.”

The pair began to look for volunteer opportunities in the area, particularly those that would let our young people practice empathy with others. Thankfully, Mercy Home President Fr. Scott Donahue had a connection at Little Sisters of the Poor, which provides care for the elderly in Chicago. The organization’s management gladly arranged a visit with their residents.

On a Saturday earlier this summer, a group of our young men, coworkers, and members of our Associate Board, which is made up of young professionals, traveled to the Little Sisters of the Poor St. Mary’s Home in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, where they played bingo with the residents.

Our young people began by recruiting residents from their rooms to come down for the game, which pushed some of our boys out of their comfort zones. They then helped the residents with the game by placing chips, calling out numbers, and just providing company during the game.

“It was great to see the kids in action,” Shllaku said. “With this vulnerable population, they were so patient, and they were so kind. One of the residents was non-verbal and [Mercy Home youth] Kayden was doing a really good job of being engaged with her.”

The visit also allowed all involved to experience positive intergenerational interaction. Both Shllaku and Doherty agreed that the connections the kids made with the residents of the home the most encouraging outcomes of the day. 

“[I wanted them to] know that they were able to facilitate something for a population they wouldn’t normally interact with,” Shllaku said. “We know that they are caring people and having them see it for themselves in this setting was really impactful.”

Because the day was such a success for our youth and Associate Board members, they hope to continue collaborating in other volunteer opportunities in the future.

“I hope we can continue to build off of it,” Doherty said. “Our Associate Board, when we first brought the idea to them, they were pumped. So, I think being able to do more of these kind of things would be pretty awesome.”

Shllaku and Doherty both expressed their gratitude to Fr. Scott for making the connection that allowed our youth and Associate Board members to enjoy an unforgettable afternoon of serving others.

“He was so excited to connect us,” Shllaku said. “Without him and his connections, we would probably still be searching [for the right volunteer opportunity].”

“His impact and Mercy Home’s impact on the community made this opportunity possible,” Doherty added.

Moving forward, Shllaku hopes that opportunities like this one can also help our kids build self-esteem and bring joy to other people.

Giving back can contribute to a young person’s growth. Studies show that service has positive impacts on both mental and physical health. It strengthens social connection. And it enhances their perspective on their own lives and on the world around them.

“For a lot of the kids here, they are trying to find purpose [so we try to] give them self-love so then they can love others and appreciate others,” she said. “Seeing them [participate in things like this] and seeing them smiling, it just totally melts your heart.”

Our young people give back to the community throughout the year and summarize their efforts at Christmastime in the Book of Service, which they present as a gift to the people of Chicago at our annual Tree Lighting in December.

We are so proud of our young people for their generosity of spirit, and we are grateful to our Associate Board members for partnering with them to help others. Thanks also to the Little Sisters of the Poor St. Mary’s Home for their wonderful hospitality.