March 22, 2018

It is remarkable how time passes—I can hardly believe that spring, already, is beginning to bloom. Springtime is such a wonderful representation of the journey our kids take when they come to Mercy Home. Just as we shake off the darkness of winter and look to the promise of rebirth in spring, so do our kids who move beyond painful pasts to brighter futures.

Of course, moving on from the trauma of the past is easier said than done. And our young man, Daniel, had experienced more trauma growing up than most adults experience in a lifetime.

Daniel’s mother abandoned him when he was around 3 years old. He only remembers little bits about her now. His father was involved in a gang and couldn’t be relied upon to care for his son, so Daniel was sent to live at his grandmother’s house. Even though his grandmother didn’t have a lot of money, she lived in a safe neighborhood where Daniel could play outside and she took good care of him.

Unfortunately, when Daniel was 9 years old, his grandmother passed away suddenly. In an instant, he lost the closest thing to a parent that he had ever known. Daniel was devastated, and things got even worse when he had to leave his home and neighborhood to live with his father.

Daniel’s father did not live in a safe place, and was still involved in the gang. Disreputable characters were in and out of the house constantly, and Daniel sometimes heard gunfire when he was trying to sleep at night. His dad had neither the interest nor the money to take care of him, so Daniel often went hungry or was forced to wear dirty clothes to school.

As the violence escalated in their neighborhood, Daniel became terrified to leave the house. One day when he was walking home from school, he saw someone get shot right on his street. This incident gave him nightmares for years.

By the time Daniel turned 12 years old, he was barely going to school. It didn’t seem worth the risk to go outside with all the violence, and his dad didn’t care what he did. Things might have continued this way had his aunt from out of state not come to visit.

When she saw the deplorable conditions Daniel was living in and found out he wasn’t going to school, she knew that he needed a safer place to live. As she researched different options, she discovered Mercy Home.

After a visit to our Home, she knew that this was the right place for Daniel to be, and he agreed. He moved in shortly after.

Daniel has been working hard since coming to Mercy Home. After we helped him re-enroll in school, he had some catching up to do. He studies with a tutor four nights a week to improve his grades. And he had to adjust to living in a stable place for the first time in years. But he knows that he never has to worry if he will be safe, or if he will have enough food to eat.

Daniel seems like a different kid since he has been at Mercy Home. When he first arrived, he was withdrawn and rarely smiled. Today, he’s one of our most outgoing kids, and has become a leader among our young men. We are incredibly proud of him!

I am incredibly grateful for your support of children like Daniel here at Mercy Home. Thank you for your dedication as a Partner in Prayer. We cherish you.

A special partnership for the sake of Mercy’s kids and for our Sunday TV 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.