VISION

Over 10.6% of Clay County’s population falls below the poverty level or 1 in 9 people you may meet on the street is living in need of basic necessities and have no safety net when unexpected events occur, i.e. loss of a job, illness and accidents. Each person is not just a statistic but an individual with a personal story and need. By addressing these dire needs at the source MSS can help prevent the person or family from continuing on the downward spiral of poverty and help set them on the road to self-sufficiency. With the uncertainty in the economy, job layoffs and cutbacks, many people are but one or two paychecks away from being circumstantially in need. Approximately 85% of the individuals and families receiving services through MSS fall below the poverty line.

Mercy Support Services is built on the premise, “A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out," guiding individuals and families from a temporary crisis to permanent self-sufficiency. Using a care coaching approach, MSS steers clients to housing, shelter, training programs, food, child care and other resources within our internal programs and related available resources.

Mercy's Self-Sufficiency Housing is designed to assist displaced families in Clay County in receiving housing and support while on their journey to becoming self-sufficient.

With the ongoing limitations in available workforce housing in Clay County, the challenge is great. Mercy Support is committed to meeting these needs as well as providing an abundance of preventive resources throughout our community via our volunteer Care Coaches and collaborations.

Mercy is:

• A platform to network county-wide organizations and offer assistance/referrals to people in crisis
• Thoroughly knowledgeable and a coordinator of: resources, programs and services for people in crisis
• An initiator of missing services NOT available to people in crisis
• A continuum of care that is consistent until clients are self-sufficient
• An organization with a holistic approach and heartfelt, caring people who treat clients with respect – no condemnation or patronization
• Consistent in policies and practices
• A stellar organization with a team of well-trained staff and volunteers whose passion is to help people.

MERCY is not:

• A homeless shelter
• Everything to all people
• Just a call center
• A church
• A duplicator of services
• An exclusive body, catering to a select group