October 23, 2024

As part of their time with us, our young people participate in service projects that benefit communities both near and far. While their acts of giving back throughout the year are summarized in the annual Book of Service at Christmas, the warm and sunny days of summer, coupled with school break, provide even more opportunities to make a big difference in the community. 

This past summer, for example, our young people traveled to North Carolina and Mississippi to build homes for people in need. Closer to home, our young women pledged to dedicate their summer break to serving the surrounding community, giving back through numerous activities until they returned to school in August. But people living in or near Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, where our girls home is located, weren’t the only ones who benefited. 

“Service has been really helpful for me because I’ve gotten to see where other people came from and not just my point of view on life,” Jess, a Mercy Home resident, said. 

Their first activity in late April was Clean the Green, sponsored by the Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA). The girls joined other neighborhood residents to help pick up trash around a park near Mercy Home, demonstrating pride in their shared community. 

“To me it meant that I was able to help people have a cleaner space to be more comfortable while they are walking and they don’t have to see trash on the ground,” Jess said. “I felt like I was helping clean the space and help the people who walk on the trail.” 

“After this day, they were like, ‘oh my gosh, we need to do more work with kids with disabilities,’” Maddie Justic, a youth care worker tasked with planning the service projects throughout the summer, said. “It even inspired some of them to make that a career path. That was really cool to see, and just how happy they were during it. They worked so hard. It was a really hot day out there in the sun, but they all were so attentive to the participant they were partnered up with, and I just thought it was so cool.” 

After seeing the success of that event, Justic looked for similar volunteer opportunities in the area and found Blue Cap, a charity located in nearby Blue Island, Illinois, that serves adults with intellectual disabilities and hosts an inclusive multi-sport competition in the summer called the Blue Cap Games. Our young people helped set up the equipment and activities for the event in August and cheered on participants.  

Acts of service are part of the therapeutic process at Mercy Home. Encouraging the youth to go beyond their comfort zones and try new activities is important for their treatment and development. 

“Kids are always hesitant to try new activities and that’s part of the challenge to overcome their anxiety,” Alban Fisher, the Vice President of Residential Programs said. “I know that activity helps you feel better and when you feel better, your brain develops. I think they’ve shown that empathy for others activates a lot of positive energy. It makes you feel better, it reduces your stress, it puts your focus off yourself, and helps you deal with your own depression and anxiety.” 

We are proud of the many ways our youth gave back to the community this year, and we look forward to reporting on more projects throughout the fall. We look forward to December’s Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Home where their acts of generosity throughout the year will be recounted and enshrined in the annual Book of Service. In the meantime, our kids will continue to heal and grow through outreach like this thanks to the support and generosity of friends like you.