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Our People, Our Neighborhood

Over the past thirty years, Mercy Center has developed into a trusted community resource for the predominantly low-income, immigrant residents of our Mott Haven neighborhood and other areas of the Bronx. Through our programs, we partner with women, men, and families as they address challenges faced by low-income immigrants, including their need for English language skills, adult education, financial coaching, affordable child care, family strengthening, and immigration assistance.

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Through our core programs and a full complement of support services, Mercy Center addresses four critical challenges facing people who live in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx:

  •   successful employment while escaping economic poverty

  •   violent and oppressive behaviors in families and the community 

  •   overburdened and underperforming schools 

  •   helping immigrants escape feelings of isolation by recognizing the power they have to change their lives as a vital part of their community. 

Snapshot of our People

Fiscal Year 2020 (7/1/2019 - 6/30/2020)

Countries of Origin

Our participants come from 51 countries and 5 continents.

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Household Incomes

69% of our participants have an annual income of less than $21,000. 

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Education Levels

50% of our participants have completed less than a high school level education.

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Mercy Center is home to one of the poorest Congressional Districts (15th) in the United States.

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  • Sixty-nine percent of participant families live on annual household incomes of  less than $21,000 .

  • Forty-one percent receive some form of government assistance (Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income, Housing, Medicaid, etc.)

  • They represent 51 countries.

  • Most are Hispanic families (91%), with seventy-five percent having emigrated from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Honduras, or Ecuador.

  • Almost one-third of participants have never attended high school and 50% have not graduated, often because of the responsibility or caring for young children.

  • Literacy levels vary, and work histories are largely in low-paying service industries. Almost 70% percent work in the Home Health Aide/Home Attendant, Restaurant, Construction, and Cleaning fields.

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