May 20, 2019

Home should be the place where we feel safest. That is why it can be shocking to hear stories from our children about just how unsafe their homes can be. It is heartbreaking to hear a young person tell me that they once dreaded going home. Amber was one of those children.

Amber grew up as an only child being raised by her mother. Her father had never been in the picture, and Amber sometimes worried that her mom was lonely. That’s why she was excited when she met her mother’s new boyfriend. Whenever he came over, he brought candy for Amber and flowers for her mother. Amber had never seen her mom so happy. After just a few months, Amber and her mother moved into his house. That’s when things started to change.

Once they lived together, it seemed that everything Amber’s mother did made her boyfriend upset. If her mother forgot to get something at the store, he would scream at her and call her terrible names, and then make her return to the store.

One night, Amber’s mother came home after running errands in her boyfriend’s car. She told him that she had been rear-ended by another car while driving, and there was now a small dent in the bumper. Her boyfriend became enraged as he cursed and screamed at her. Then, he struck Amber’s mother so hard that she fell; all while Amber was watching.

Though he promised Amber and her mother it would never happen again, it did. The screaming, name-calling and hitting became routine. Amber wished she and her mother could go back to their old apartment – just the two of them, where she felt safe. Seeking an escape during these attacks, Amber would go into the bathroom and lock the door. She was often too afraid to leave the bathroom, even sleeping there while waiting for her mother and her mother’s boyfriend to stop fighting. Sometimes she was too afraid to sleep at all, never knowing what would happen next.

Things went on this way until Amber’s teachers began to notice how exhausted she was. Finally, her English teacher asked Amber what was going on at home, and though Amber tried to lie at first, the pressure was too much. All the emotions she had bottled up for so long came pouring out.

Amber’s guidance counselor told Amber about Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, but Amber was skeptical. She had never heard of a place like Mercy Home and wasn’t sure what it would be like to live here. She wanted to visit the Home before she made a decision. As soon as she saw our campus and met our coworkers, Amber knew it was the escape she had been looking for all along. She decided to move in.

Amber immediately formed a special bond with one of our coworkers and refers to her as the big sister she always wanted. Through regular therapy sessions, she is able to talk about the traumatic experiences that she kept to herself for so long. During her time at Mercy Home, she has been learning healthy ways to express her feelings. Her favorite
outlet to express herself is through creating art with our art therapist.

But most importantly, Amber now feels safe. She doesn’t worry when she goes to the kitchen for a snack that she will be screamed at. She knows that when she comes home from school, she will not have to hide and lock herself in the bathroom. She knows that she is part of a loving family, thanks to your kindness.

I am truly grateful for all you do for young people like Amber. It makes all the difference in their lives!

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.