A 501(c) (3) Organization Addressing the Crisis of Family Homelessness
M.E.R.C.Y.
Communities, Inc.
108 E. Cook Street
Springfield, IL 62704
Phone: (217) 753-1358
FAX: (217) 753-1360
About Us
Mission • History • Starfish • Vision
Our Mission
To Provide Housing and Supportive Services to Foster the Independence of Homeless and At-Risk Families.
Our Vision
The vision of M.E.R.C.Y. Communities is to empower families to live in dignity and healthy independence.
M.E.R.C.Y. Communities seeks to:
- Provide family with safe, dignified housing in a spirit of compassion and respect
- Connect families with mentoring individuals and families from partnering churches and organizations
- Guide families towards reaching their full potential through the provision of intensive and holistic services in collaboration with these community resources
- Assist families in securing permanent housing and provide them with ongoing aftercare services and support
Our History
In 1997, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois gathered for their General Chapter, a governing session held every four years, to review their mission, renew their vision, and set directions for the future.
In response to the God of compassion, the Congregation committed themselves "...to be inclusive in our relationships, to embrace the rich diversity of people, and to stand in solidarity with and for persons who are marginated."
Following the General Chapter, a Visioning Committee of Dominican Sisters shaped the vision and created a Task Force to Study the feasibility of a transitional living program in the Springfield community.
This Task Force included representatives from social service agencies, businesses, religious communities and other concerned individuals.
Beginning in June 1998, this group of twenty-three individuals focused on establishing a longterm transitional living program that offered compre-hensive, multi-faceted services for at-risk families.
Two factors were determined critical to the program's success:
- that it neither duplicate nor compete with already existing services, and
- that collaboration with other agencies be a core component.
On February 26, 1999, members of the Task Force, having diligently identified the need for supportive housing in our community, presented a request for start-up funds to the Dominican Sisters' leadership team.
Later that afternoon, with the request granted, M.E.R.C.Y. Communities was born.
Today, twenty five persons serve on the Governing Board, seeking to address the cycles of poverty, abuse, neglect and abandonment – one family at a time.
Our Inspiration
The M.E.R.C.Y. Starfish logo is a reminder that every human life, however fragile, deserves respect, care and nurturing.
An old woman was picking up objects off the beach and tossing them out into the sea. A young man approached her and saw that the objects were starfish. "Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water?"
"If the starfish are still on the beach when the tide goes out and the sun rises high in the sky, they will die," replied the old woman.
'That is ridiculous. There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish. You can't really believe that what you're doing could possibly make a difference!"
The wise old woman picked up another starfish, paused thoughtfully, and remarked as she tossed it out into the waves,
"It makes a difference to this one."
From The Star Thrower (1979) by Loren Eiseley.