Mercy Center Supporters

Mercy Center's largest source of income every year is from foundations. We are grateful to the following for their partnership in our work in the 2007-2008 fiscal year:

A. & C. Ciocca Charitable Foundation, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Altman/Kazickas Foundation, Anonymous Foundation, Frank J. Antun Foundation, Axe Houghton Foundation, Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Trust, Balm Foundation, Catholic Charities of New York, Clare Rose Foundation, Con Edison, Damman Fund, Daphne Foundation, Fledgling Fund, George Link Foundation, Herzfeld Foundation, Hispanic Federation, Independence Community Foundation, Kazickas Family Foundation, Lisabeth Foundation, Mercy Action Fund, Morgan Stanley Foundation, Pascale Sykes Foundation, Pinkerton Foundation, Redemptorists, RTS Foundation, Sarita Kenedy East Foundation, William E. Simon Foundation, Verizon Foundation

A number of organizations enrich Mercy Center’s ability to be more fully responsive to the needs and aspirations of the women and families of Mott Haven:

♦	Mercy Center is a sponsored work of the Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy (www.mercymidatlantic.org), a congregation of woman religious with extensive works in education, health care and social services.
♦	Mercy Volunteer Corps (www.MercyVolunteers.org) members have worked at Mercy Center since 1996. They are lay women and men who volunteer for 1 to 2 years, working with people who are economically poor or living on the margins of society.
♦	The Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps (www.ilvc.org) is an association of retired professionals who commit themselves to volunteering their time and talents 2 days a week to people in need while deepening their understanding of mission and practice of spirituality through community meetings and the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius.
♦	The International Center in New York (ICNY) (www.intlcenter.org), founded in 1961, is a unique community where immigrants, refugees, students and other newcomers to the United States come to practice English and learn about American culture. Each year, ICNY provides 2,500 newcomers, from 95 different countries, with a wide range of language and cultural programs through its corps of 1,000 volunteers. In order to share its expertise and serve more immigrants, ICNY works with a number of community-based organizations, such as Mercy Center, in different New York City neighborhoods to add an important component to their existing ESL programs.
♦	The Hispanic Federation (www.HispanicFederation.org) is an association of over 80 organizations in the New York City area who align themselves with the needs and interests of the Latino community. Founded in 1990, the Hispanic Federation advocates for increased comprehensive health and human services in the Hispanic community within the tri-state area. The Hispanic Federation makes sure that policy makers understand the needs and concerns of our community, educating funders, policymakers, and elected officials about the community's diversity, its economic status, and its educational aspirations.
♦	The Fiver Foundation (www.fiver.org) is a comprehensive youth development organization that partners year-round with community-based organizations and schools, including Mercy Center, to develop life skills and empower children to become positive members of their communities. With a tuition-free summer camp designed around a character development program as its core activity, Fiver provides a 10-year support program to children and families from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
♦	House of the Roses Dance Volunteer Company (www.houseoftheroses.com) is a non-profit, volunteer organization that offers homeless and at-risk children free weekly on-site dance workshops at partner outreach facilities, including Mercy Center, throughout New York City, as well as performance opportunities at outside locations. The dance workshops, conducted by members of the organization’s all-volunteer dance company, are designed to foster freedom of expression, healthy role modeling, self-esteem and respect for others.
♦	Grace Outreach (www.graceoutreachbronx.org) offers high quality adult education programs for women in the South Bronx. Their first focus is helping women earn their GED (high school equivalency diploma). Once she has earned her GED, they assist her to identify and pursue her next goal whether that be college, vocational training and/or employment. Daytime classes are held at their location at 378 East 151st Street on the 5th floor of Immaculate Conception School. They also offer evening classes at Mercy Center on Monday and Wednesday evenings for women who are working during the day.
♦	Peace by Piece (www.peacebypiece.info) is a project of Maureen Bennett O'Connor, a Mercy Center volunteer and artist who arrives on the scene 10 to 12 times a year to work with local women and elicit from them native artistic talents on behalf of peacemaking. She worked with a number of Mercy Center women after the attacks of 9/11, and they created canvasses for peace, which Maureen has now turned into beautiful note cards.