October 14, 2020

From an outsider’s perspective, Ella’s family seemed like any other. Though they lived in a poor neighborhood, both of Ella’s parents had jobs. While there were plenty of kids in the neighborhood who did drugs and were involved in gangs, Ella and her siblings weren’t among them. Nobody ever assumed things were anything but normal at her house.

But behind closed doors, it was a different story.

Ella’s parents had a volatile relationship. It didn’t help that they both regularly drank too much. They spent many nights screaming at each other. When her parents fought, Ella and her brothers and sisters would huddle together in one of their bedrooms, terrified.

“…Ella had a hard time adjusting to the sudden change. She was sad, angry, and felt completely alone.”

Eventually, her parents’ fights became physical. Ella’s older sister became concerned and contacted the authorities about what was going on. It was decided that Ella and her siblings would stay with their grandmother until her parents could provide a more stable environment for them to live in.

Ella’s grandmother lived in another neighborhood of the city, far from where she grew up. This meant changing schools, leaving behind friends, and having to learn her way around a new part of town.

The new neighborhood was much safer, and life at Ella’s grandmother’s home was quiet and orderly. All her siblings seemed much happier in this new situation, but Ella had a hard time adjusting to the sudden change. She was sad, angry, and felt completely alone.

Unsure how to express her feelings, Ella began to act out. She refused to follow any of her grandmother’s rules and began doing whatever she wanted—staying out too late, talking back, and picking fights with her siblings. At school, when she bothered to go, she got in more fights and disrupted class at every opportunity.

After several months of this, one day Ella again found herself in the school principal’s office. In the past, the principal had chided her for her behavior and doled out an appropriate punishment. But this time, he decided to take a different approach.

“Though Ella initially struggled with moving into Mercy Home, nobody at Mercy Home gave up on her. And most importantly, she never gave up on herself.”

He asked Ella what was going on at home. At first, Ella didn’t want to open up about everything she had gone through in the past year. But soon, the whole story ended up coming out.

Fortunately, Ella’s principal knew about Mercy Home. He told Ella that it was a place where she could make a fresh start and learn to cope with everything that had happened to her. While Ella was initially wary of the idea, she knew that she needed to make a change in her life. Not long after, she moved in.

Though Ella initially struggled with moving into Mercy Home, nobody at Mercy Home gave up on her. And most importantly, she never gave up on herself. Even when things got difficult, she was determined to put in the hard work to make a change in her life. Eventually, Ella began to see progress—in her grades, in her relationships, and in her anger. Finally, she feels in control of her life and hopeful when she looks to the future—thanks to the support she received at Mercy Home.

Thank you for changing the lives of kids like Ella! Your prayers and support make all the difference for our children.

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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.