From Winter to Spring and into Summer |
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For 30 years Mercy Center has responded to the needs of the South Bronx community.
When COVID-19 changed the face of our world, Mercy Center pivoted to meet the changing needs of our community.
While we continued to offer classes, programs and services remotely, we found new ways to serve our families. To date, 32,900 meals have been distributed, groceries and produce have been provided for 4,357 families, and $190,450 in debit/gift cards have helped families meet their financial responsibilities.
Even with the challenges of the past year and a half, Mercy Center is thriving! We are able to do this because of the support we receive from so many. Please know that if you have supported us during these challenging times, you truly have helped transform lives.
With gratitude,
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During the children's spring break, Mercy Center offered a mini Spring Camp - two days of field trips with the After School kids.
The all-day trips to Randall's Island Urban Farm and The Bronx Zoo were a welcome break for the children, allowing them to learn while also having fun and getting lots of exercise. The Urban Farm trip in particular was a workout. Located only three miles from Mercy Center, the group walked there and back. By the end of the day, they'd walked 8 miles!
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The Urban Farm gave the kids a hands-on educational experience. |
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Registrations for Cycle 3 |
We held registrations in early April for our spring online cycle of Adult Education & Workforce Development classes, and for Parenting classes. The continuing pandemic could have made us wonder about meeting our program enrollment goals. However, not only did we meet our goals, in some cases we exceeded them! The spring cycle was exceptionally strong, with many participants eager to sign up for classes. |
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Our fourth flea market was held on May 6. Coordinated by Marianne Sheridan, our Youth Programs Manager, the event was an opportunity for our families not only to choose useful and needed items, but also to enjoy each other's company as community on a beautiful day.
We thank everyone who donated items, as well as the team of staff members who worked so hard to make the day a success.
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Items included clothing, shoes, household and kitchen items, toys, and much more. |
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TACOMBI has provided us with a total of 24,520 meals since April 2020 and will continue at least through the end of this year. We're grateful for their commitment to communities like ours that have suffered profoundly during the pandemic.
CBS News recently profiled Tacombi, interviewing Susana Camarena, Director of Impact and Head of Tacombi Foundation and a Mercy Center board committee member. They filmed a portion of it at Mercy Center. You can watch the video HERE.
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We honored Board Member Gregory Stephenson at our golf outing on June 11th. We're grateful that Greg allowed us to thank him for his longtime support. It was our most successful golf outing EVER, raising over $32,000, and everyone had a great time!
We're also planning our first ever U.S. Tennis Open Raffle. The prize includes tickets to Round of 16 matches, Prime Loge level seating, and much more. Ticket sales will start soon; stay on the alert!
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Executive Director Steve Stritch was interviewed earlier this month on BronxNet, a local news channel. We always appreciate the opportunity to let the community know more about our free services. You can watch the interview HERE.
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The COVID-19 Mobile Vaccine Van was at Mercy Center this week administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Bronx has the lowest vaccination rate of all the boroughs. When the opportunity arose to have the van at Mercy Center, we eagerly accepted the offer. While we wished for higher numbers, we were glad to hear that almost all those who were vaccinated had come via Mercy Center.
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We're grateful to the Vaccine Van staff! |
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We received our latest produce delivery on June 17th, thanks to the efforts of Marianne Sheridan, Manager of Youth Programs and Relief Coordinator. The truck arrived very early in the morning, when few staff members were onsite.
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One of the Vaccine Van staff and a local construction worker saw the need to help and immediately jumped in. Soon they were joined by two Mercy Center participants and staff members as they arrived. It was a spontaneous expression of community in action!
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We welcomed three new staff members this spring. Ashley Hernandez is our new Family Wellness Coordinator, Tammy Huang is our new Controller, and Shala Gafary is our new Director of Immigrant Services. All three bring a wave of fresh energy to Mercy Center and are eager to serve the community. |
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Thank you for helping us to respond with Mercy! |
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