Causes: Community Recreational Centers, Family Services, Human Services, Job Training, Public & Societal Benefit, Sports

Mission: Mercy Center is a nonsectarian center for parents and families in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. Its mission is to provide educational, technical, human and supportive services to women, parents and other family members empowering them to reach their full human potential, lead meaningful lives, and be agents of change in their families and communities.

Target demographics: Women and Familes

Direct beneficiaries per year: Over 2,000 women, men and children benefit from our services each year.

Geographic areas served: Mott Haven

Programs: In fulfilling its mission, Mercy Center currently offers the following programs: Family Alternatives to Violence seeks to break the cycle of violence in family interactions and provide the skills that lead to healthy family interactions. Parenting Courses, Family Weekends, and mentoring relationships are complemented by other programmatic initiatives, such as: a Teen/Young Moms and Dads Program that reaches out to young and teen parents and offers them the resources that will enable them to grow and develop in ways that are healthy and productive for themselves and their children; Family Development, a 2 year program for a limited number of families to empower them as individuals and family units; and Anger Management, a 12-week course designed to improve anger awareness and provide skills and techniques for appropriate expressions of anger. All programs are offered in Spanish and English. Employment - Yes! aims to enhance the job readiness of women in the area we serve by assisting them in obtaining meaningful employment and supporting their ongoing success in that employment. It includes computer training, office skills, entrepreneurial basics, self-esteem building, resume writing and interviewing practice. Specific programs include: Keyboarding (Basic and Advanced); Business Training and Administrative Assistant courses (12-week programs that provide further training to high school graduates in basic grammar, computer basics (Windows, Word, Excel), resume preparation and job interview readiness); Intro to Word and Excel; Job Search Skills; Employment Counseling and Job Development ESL Classes are offered in Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced levels and are complemented by the availability of language labs and the assistance of Conversation Partners, reading and computer labs/resources. CHAMPIONS (Children Have A Major Place In Our Neighborhood Services) is a series of programs for the children of Mercy Center's families, presenting them with alternatives to the violence and negativity to which they are often subjected. They include After School program, Saturday Reading Enrichment, Girl Talk for middle school and high school girls, winter and spring and summer camp opportunities, seasonal celebrations and special events, all of which address the needs of children for a safe environment and an opportunity to advance their creative and educational potential through individual assistance and group activities. Social Services and Case Management is provided for women and men participating in Mercy Center programs who do not receive case management services from any other agencies. This program, time-limited and goal/outcome oriented, provides an opportunity for participants to work one-on-one with a case worker to solve current problems and create a support structure that will prevent those problems from recurring. Personal Development opportunities include various support groups, Yoga, guidance in personal goal setting and achievement, spirituality support sessions in English and in Spanish, breathing exercises, events and workshops around the theme of non-violence, and comprehensive personal assistance.