"Without Mercy Volunteer Corps, I would not only be where I am, but I would not be who I am today. The Mercy Volunteer Corps staff was such an amazing support throughout this whole process. From the moment orientation started, I knew that I was about to embark on a life giving and life changing experience with a community that would forever be a part of my story."

Taking a Leap of Faith

Since I was a little girl I knew that it was my call to serve others. For years I was set on going to a third world country and doing my little part to help those who were less fortunate than I. It was not until my senior year in college that my feelings had changed. I had the privilege of spending my spring break at a place called Mercy Center located in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. There I, along with seven other students from my college, put on a Spring Camp for over sixty underserved youth in the poorest congressional district in the nation. While at Mercy Center I learned about Mercy Volunteer Corps and was attracted to the program and its mission, as well as the fact that Mercy Center was one of their sites of service. As I thought more about this opportunity, it was my dad who said, "Mary Ellen, you don't have to go very far to find people in need." I knew that he was right, and although I had a feeling he also wanted to keep me close by, I thought that this must be a sign... Little did I know that Mercy Center would be my 'home away from home' for the next four years.  I started off as a full time volunteer with Mercy Volunteer Corps.

As my volunteer year at Mercy Center was coming to an end, I had mixed emotions. On one hand I knew from the start that it was only for one year, but I also knew that the work that I had started was not, in my mind, complete. When my supervisor/Co-Director of Mercy Center approached me with a job proposal it did not take any 'arm twisting' to accept. I knew that my family and friends would be supportive and possibly saddened at the same time, but I knew that it was the right decision for me. That summer I would be first at Mercy Center to be given the title of Youth Programs Coordinator. Before me there was a lot of inconsistency. The youth programs were always run by the new full-time volunteers and a couple of staff members, and by the end of the year the children knew it was nearing time to say good-bye yet again. In an area where instability is a common thread, where teachers come and go, the children hop from school to school, and the household situations are sometimes in disarray, this position brought stability to both the program and the children alike. In short, I was honored to be given this opportunity.

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