When the shelter-in-place order was announced in Chicago, Mercy Home’s longtime friends John and Janet Nitti immediately reached out to Fr. Scott Donahue to find out how they could help Mercy Home’s young people and their families. The Nittis have supported Mercy Home in countless ways, including providing food for our Christmas celebrations and the Mercy Home Heroes pasta dinner.
After finding out that a significant need was for dry goods, John connected Mercy Home to Italian food company Barilla to see if they could help. And Barilla responded in an amazing way. Donating 1,000 pounds of pasta and 1,000 jars of pasta sauce. They also donated coupons for Mercy Home’s young people, AfterCare members, Friends First mentees, and their families to get more pasta and sauce for free.
Mercy Home’s Compassionate Care Task Force has already begun distributing Barilla’s donation and coupons and they have made a tremendous difference for so many people.
“We’re sitting in a good place right now with really helping families in need,” Mario Tamayo, manager of youth programs operations and a member of the task force, said.
This story is a wonderful example of the power of friendship during difficult times like these. It’s thanks to wonderful friends like the Nittis and Barilla that allow us to make sure that all of our families are fed and well-cared for.
We are incredibly grateful to be able to count on friends like these no matter the circumstances!
