St. Viator students raise $10,000 for Mercy Home
“Thank you. You change the lives of our children through your generosity.”
This was the message Rev. L. Scott Donohue, a 1972 graduate of St. Viator High School and current president and CEO of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, asked students to bring back to the St. Viator community after meeting with them earlier this month.
Gianna Marshall, Katie Cascino and Miranda Gall, St. Viator students going into their senior years, along with the Campus Ministry team traveled to Chicago’s West Loop to present a $10,000 check to Fr. Donohue on behalf of this year’s annual Lenten Campaign at St. Viator.
The group toured the facility, eating in the cafeteria and learning more about the impact Mercy Home makes in the lives of so many children every year.
“One thing that really struck me was Mercy Home is not just a place for these kids to stay for a period of time; it is their home,” said junior Gianna Marshall. “Much like we go home at the end of the school day, these students return to Mercy Home each night and know that they will be safe and loved.”
There are approximately 135 boys and girls, ages 11 to 21, enrolled in the residential program at Mercy Home. A boys’ campus is in the West Loop and the girls’ campus is in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. The residential program supports the growth and success of kids who arrive in crisis. They get round-the-clock care while developing an individualized success plan that will guide their progress.
The Residential Program is just one piece of all the services Mercy Home offers. Another 250 students are involved in the Friends First mentoring program, which matches a child one-on-one with a trained volunteer, and Aftercare, a program that offers lifelong support, encouragement and resources to former residents of Mercy Home and their families.
“What St. Viator has done is help continue our mission of providing for young people entrusted to our care,” Fr. Donohue said.
He said St. Viator “was a huge touchstone in my life. The Viatorians and the spirit of the school made such an impression that I wanted to figure out how I could give back, and my journey has led me to Mercy Home,” he added.
Mercy Home was selected as the beneficiary for this year’s Lenten Campaign to complement the Archdiocese of Chicago’s yearlong celebration of “Teen and Young Adults.”
Students and families raised $10,000 for the Lenten Campaign through daily collections at school and the annual Run with the Pride 5K Run/Walk.
“The kids at Mercy Home are so grateful for what they’ve been given,” Marshall said. “We here at St. Viator are all so blessed to have so many opportunities that we don’t think about these things on a daily basis. I am proud to represent St. Viator here today. We are helping change the lives of so many kids just like us.”