Mercy Center Year-End Report
2002-2003

    Thirteen years of sowing, weeding, weathering storms, and reaping have produced a fragrant garden rich in harmony and diversity.

Seeds – a new life

    Mercy Center began in 1990 with a desire and a passion to serve the community.  As this initial desire and passion were fulfilled and grew, a new dream of a larger space to call our home evolved, a larger space in which to better serve the growing community.

    The strength of this growing community and hope for the future were at the center of our Ribbon-cutting Ceremony held on November 1, 2002.  About 200 friends gathered for this first celebration of our new home, a gathering that was filled with pride and excitement.  A few months later, on a snowy February 7, 2003, we finally moved into our new home.
 

Seedlings – growth in progress

    These past five months, we have already been able to expand services.  Having our own building makes us much more visible in the community.  As a result, more people come to us for services.  This year our core programs served 843 participants, an increase of 34.8% over last year.  Special workshops, seasonal activities, and family activities were enjoyed by 850 of our community members.  An additional 270 people were referred to other agencies for services we could not provide.  Already we need more space!

    While we have seen growth in space and in the number of people served this year, a more significant and meaningful growth has become apparent in our participants.  Many of the 75 women who participated in our Employment-Yes! Program expressed a sentiment similar to that of Millicent: “Since my enrollment in this program at Mercy Center, I have learned that there are no limits to the human spirit and the desire for success.”  The combination of services offered through our Family Alternatives to Violence Program—parenting skills courses, teen parenting courses, anger management, family weekends, and peace and non-violence workshops—offered 225 participants the opportunity to learn and practice healthy ways to deal with anger and frustration, and positive communication skills.  In today’s world of extreme violence, people like Rosalyn give us hope: “I’m glad for this program because they spoke about things that I was doing to my child that were hurting him.  I didn’t even know it.  And they helped me to learn how to control myself.”

    Two other programs that grew significantly this year were our English as a Second Language Program and our Children’s Program.  About 150 people are better able to speak up for themselves as a result of their participation in our E.S.L. classes and conversation groups.  65 children participated in Crafts for Kids, Girl Talk, and jazz and ballet classes offered at Mercy Center by the Morgan Scott Ballet’s Bronx outreach program.  It is gratifying to see these children grow in creativity and interpersonal skills.
 

Water – the gift of life

Support – companions

    Of course, none of this growth would have been possible without the invaluable support, encouragement, and love of our many friends.  Traveling with us on our journey of growth are over 130 volunteers, hundreds of individual donors, and the following foundations, corporations, and organizations who support our work: 

Anonymous Foundation; Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust; Catholic Charities Community Grant; Citibank Employees Foundation; The Clare Rose Foundation; Frances L. & Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund; The Dammann Fund; The Daphne Foundation; Fleet Bank; The Heckscher Foundation for Children; The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation; Marion E. Kenworthy-Sarah H. Swift Foundation; The McGuire Fund; The New York Women’s Foundation; NYS Office of Children & Family Services; Our Sunday Visitor; The Patrina Foundation; The Pinkerton Foundation; RSCJ Fund for Ministry; Helena Rubinstein Foundation; Ryall Christian Brothers; The Sister Fund; Sisters of Mercy of New York; Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina; St. James Episcopal Church; Blanche M. Walsh Charity Trust; Allied Irish Bank; The Lily Auchincloss Foundation; Barker Welfare Foundation; Booth Ferris Foundation; Con Edison; DeLaCour Family Foundation; Robert Goelet Foundation; Hispanic Federation; Hyde and Watson Foundation; George Link, Jr. Foundation; Pequot Capital Foundation; Sarita Kenedy East Foundation; ViBern Foundation; and the Waldorf Family Foundation.

Sunshine – light and warmth

Nourishment – rich soil

 Over the years, two things have continued to light our way and nourish us, one being the Mercy Center community, the people served.  The community has grown in number and in strength, with many participants willing to experience more than one program, willing to help maintain the building, willing to help cook for Mercy Center gatherings, willing to be community at Mercy Center, their “second home.”

    The other source of light and nourishment has been our founder and director, Mary Ann Dirr.  Sadly, Mary Ann has decided to resign as executive director of Mercy Center.  We will be forever grateful for her guidance, vision, strength, and commitment.  We also have faith that a change in leadership, with Joseph Dirr and Mary Galeone as co-directors, and Alba Torres joining them as the third member of a new Administrative Team, will confidently guide Mercy Center into the future.

    As always, central to all of the activities of Mercy Center are a strong sense of community, an emphasis on leadership development, and a commitment to respond to the needs of economically deprived women and their families.  This garden continues to grow and flourish.  Its soil is rich and its roots are deep.  It will continue to produce new growth for years to come.