Mercy Moments Santa’s Sleigh Overflowed Volume 7, Issue 1 Winter 2014 IN THIS ISSUE Santa’s Sleigh 1 What’s Happening at Mercy Center 2 New Faces 3 A Bountiful Thanksgiving 4 Office for New Americans 5 Winter Camp 5 A Day at the Theater 6 Knitting Circle Wraps Up 7 Woodlawn Run for a Cause 7 Save the Date: Gala Dinner & Auction 8 Children receive gifts from our volunteer Santa Board of Directors Charlie Brown Angela Cabassa Candida Carrasquillo Blanca Cofino Margaret Costa, RSM Mary Davey Beth Finnerty Mariela Gomez George Grace Valerie Leon Yadira Maya Tim O’Connor Evelyn Oliver Sam Rios Michael Termini, Chair Mario Vasquez Ellen Vopicka Regina Ward, RSM Mary Galeone, RSM The holidays are a time for giving, and nowhere In addition to the “family to family” is this more evident than at Mercy Center. Santa adoptions, we give special thanks for the took on the monumental task of bearing gifts for generosity of: 253 families and their 678 children. The gifts  Jen Lupo and Jose Ibietatorremendia  Riverdale Country School  Church of the Annunciation  Horace Mann School The holiday magic could not have happened  Maria Regina High School without our extended family of dedicated staff,  Mount St. Michael Academy donors (both old friends and newcomers) and  St. Catharine Academy volunteers who donated, wrapped and delivered  St. Raymond High School piles of gifts to Mercy Center. Santa and his  The Ursuline School  Weichert Realtors included practical and much needed winter clothes and bedding, as well as dolls, Legos, athletic gear, games and books etc. Chief Elf volunteered much time and energy to ensure that our children had a chance to tell St. Nick what they really wanted for Christmas. and all who made the Spirit of Christmas come alive at Mercy Center. Page 2 What’s Happening at Mercy Center Joseph S. Dirr Technology Center: From Concept to Reality With your generous gifts totaling but the entire Mercy Center more than $72,000, we can now community. proudly announce that the Joseph S. Dirr Technology Center is open for The Technology Center was designed to be mobile and easy to manipulate with the flexibility to accommodate different needs. The new Thin Client Technology even saves energy. Afternoon Tea Reception The grand opening was celebrated with honoree Joe Dirr in October at afternoon tea less than one year after Joseph S. Dirr the plan for the Technology Center business! The Center consists of 21 was announced. It was ten months workstations to be used not only by from concept to reality ! our Employment Readiness students, InfoTech Presentation Raffle Success: It’s a sellout...and the winner is... Our good friends Susan and Michael Boulhosa made a wise purchase from longtime Mercy Center supporter Diane Vezza, who was thrilled to have finally sold the winning ticket! More than 270 individuals helped our Chair ,Artie Lange , reach Mercy Center Super Raffle history, with all 500 tickets sold for the very first time. The $50,000 raised will be used to support all Mercy Center programs. Susan and Michael received two fieldlevel tickets to the big game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, plus $1,000 spending money. Hopefully, they ‘re Seattle Seahawk fans! Susan Boulhosa, Diane Vezza, Michael Boulhosa Page 3 The New Faces of Mercy Center Director of Finance and Facilities Sahlu Merine Mercy Volunteer Corps Andrew James and Angelica Perez Sahlu Merine comes to us after serving in various business roles at Columbia University. Andrew and Angelica share many talents with us, but primarily focus on the After School Program. Family Worker / Men’s Outreach Edward Madera Ed brings his experience with Westchester Social Services to assist with Family Development and Programa de Padres. Columbia School of Social Work Interns Angelica Greuner and Sarah Feeney Angie and Sarah are honing their skills and completing valuable projects for participants, staff and the administration. Page 4 Page 4 Mercy Moments Mercy Center Thanksgiving Pantry Another Successful Season of Abundance The Ursuline School students kept the shelves stocked Thanksgiving is a time for community and sharing as was evident during the 2013 Food Pantry at Mercy Center. With the recent cuts to the SNAP Program (Food Stamps), many of our participants have found it harder and harder to provide meals for their families, let alone a celebratory feast. But through the generosity of hundreds of donors and volunteers, Mercy Center was able to distribute basic staples and the makings of the Thanksgiving meal to 401  families in time for the holiday. We are grateful to all the individuals, families, schools and agencies who helped make this year’s Thanksgiving The “Turkey Team” from Pleasantville Pantry a success once again:  St. Jean Baptiste High School  Preston High School  The Ursuline School  Cathedral High School  Church of Saint Sebastian  Townsend Harris High School  Fordham Preparatory School  Manhattan College  The Demarest Community  St. Joseph Church  St. Catharine Academy  Holy Child School  Dominican Sisters Family Health Services  Immaculate Conception Church  St. Raymond’s Church and High School  RMR Wealth Builders Inc.  St. Athanasius Elementary School  Sacred Heart High School  St. Francis Xavier Church  Private Individuals Page 5 From the Office for New Americans Page This is a very exciting time in the Office for New Americans (ONA). We are proud to report that, to date, ONA has helped 25 participants gain their U. S. citizenship! Additionally, 96 applications for U. S. citizenship have been submitted for review. Word of mouth of the Office’s good work continues to spread within the commu- ONA Interns working with prospective citizens during an Immigration Drive nity and interest remains strong. New prospective applicants arrive each week, eager to realize their dream of becoming a ONA’s very first New American U. S. Citizen. ONA Project Coordinator Bridget Splain with her most recent new citizen Winter Camp This winter break, when most not in session. Camp also other kids were stuck at home, provides relief to our Mercy Mercy Center students had a Center parents who would chance to catch up on homework, otherwise have to find complete cool arts & crafts projects expensive daycare for their and conduct engaging science children or be forced to miss experiments at Winter Camp. This work or their own Mercy term, 52 students were served over Center classes. the holiday break. Mercy Center Making new friends staff were supported by volunteers from Canisius and LeMoyne Colleges, who provided homework assistance, led gym activities, and prepared nutritious snacks for our kids. Many of the Winter Campers also attend our After School program. The camp maintains consistency and prevents kids from falling behind in their studies when the schools are Winter Camp in full swing Providing homework help Page 6 Page 6 Mercy Moments English for Speakers of Other Languages A Day at The Theater Learning English is a huge undertaking, so Mercy Center Instructors of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provide our participants with top notch class instruction, plus a variety of extra curricular activities designed to enhance the learning experience and expose them to new aspects of life in New York City. Participants recently attended the Educational Theater of New York's (ETNY) presentation of The Gioconda Smile. ETNY uses creative theater techniques and language specifically tailored to ESOL students to improve their comprehension and provide a full theatrical experience. For many of our participants, this was their first trip to the theater, EVER! Last semester was a record-setter for our ESOL Program. The highest ever class enroll- ESOL Students at the Educational Theater of New York ment reached 304 students. Another record was set when 201 students completed the courses. This most recent group of ESOL participants was especially diligent. The majority attended more than 8 hours of class each week and increased the average final test score from 79% last year to 87%. Improving literacy skills is essential for our participants who, in many cases, are the primary caretakers of their families. Anything they can do to improve their employment opportunities will enhance their lives and the lives of all family members. Beyond increased job opportunities, improved literacy opens doors which would otherwise remain closed. Many students are first generation immigrants who lack even the most fundamental English skills necessary to venture outside of their neighborhoods, or in some cases, even their homes. They feel trapped and isolated from society and simple tasks such as going to the grocery store or following directions can turn into major obstacles. As a tool to overcome these challenges, Mercy Center offers four levels of English instruction to meet specific needs and unique circumstances. The rigor of the courses highlights the value Mercy Center places on proper English acquisition. We have seen firsthand the newfound confidence and hope that changes people. We know from 23 years of observation that this first step toward adapting to life in America literally transforms lives. ESOL Students exploring the city Page 7 It’s a Wrap for the Knitting Circle Page 7 women in the community. These bonds and networks can prove very useful outside of Mercy Center when dealing with personal challenges. Thank you as always to Carol O’Blenes for leading our program and providing unwavering and thoughtful patience, care and instruction. We look forward to seeing all of our knitters at the next class. Carol O’Blenes (far left) along with her knitting class Word of our Knitting Class continues to spread. This semester, 32 women enrolled in the program, our highest number to date! Beyond learning a valuable skill, knitting provides a means of stress relief as well as a bridge for building friendships with other Donated knitting supplies Woodlawn Run for a Cause A giant thank you goes to Chris Ellis who, unsolicited by us, decided to include Mercy Center as one of the beneficiaries of his fundraising effort known as the Woodlawn Run for a Cause 5K. This was the seventh year of the race, whose mission is to raise awareness and funds for a variety of good causes in Yonkers and the Bronx, while also encouraging good health habits. Chris singlehandedly raised nearly $3,000 for Mercy Center! Proof that good deeds can come from anywhere at anytime and that one individual effort can produce tremendous results! Way to go Chris, and good luck with your training for next year! We look forward to recruiting a Mercy Center team. Sr. Mary Gallagher and Chris Ellis Mercy Center 337 East 145th Street Bronx, NY 10454 Phone: 718.993.2789 Fax: 718.402.1594 E-mail: [email protected] Follow us on : Facebook www.facebook.com/mercycenterbronx Twitter @MercyCenterBrnx Sign up for our emails at www.mercycenterbronx.org Save the Date Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 Tenth Annual Mercy Center Gala Dinner and Auction honoring Mary Theresa McCombe and Diane Vezza New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 6:00pm to 10:00pm For more information, contact the Development Office at 347-590-0481 or [email protected]