Mercy Support Services is a Christ centered, nonprofit organization headquartered in Middleburg, Florida. Our vision is “Transformed Lives. Building Community.” Through Christ, we empower our neighbors who are circumstantially in need to strive for a stable and sustainable future. We do this by providing a robust self-sufficiency program, resources and referrals that ensure accountability and measurable results.

 

The old saying goes, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Our heart is to see every person reach their full God-given potential. But how do you achieve this when all the odds seem stacked against a person? When every obstacle under the sun seems to lie in their lap? What’s the answer?

 

The answer is: LIFE COACHING * SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT * HEALTHY ACCOUNTABILITY

 

LIFE COACHING

Our newly enhanced coaching model is rooted in the belief that we all have unique gifts, purposes, and potential. The coaching model has two essential goals: Growth goals and Performance goals. The model integrates our Christian faith, principles, and values into the coaching process to support clients as they overcome their current crises and barriers; teaching them not just how to make a living, but how to truly live!

 

When current problematic behaviors, habits, and hang ups are identified, one can begin to work on solutions to help them get “UN-STUCK”. Through life coaching they discover their identity and find self-confidence that allows them to gain clarity, enhance their decision-making abilities and build a resilience to overcome obstacles much differently and more effectively in the future. This sets them up for life transformation.

 

Each participant plays an active role in setting their Individualized Success Plan (ISP). This is vital to ensure they are totally in agreement with the changes that lie ahead for them and more likely to help them stay committed when challenges arise.

 

SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT

As the Mercy Program Life Coach is walking through this journey with the program participant, they are also receiving additional support and encouragement through our partnering churches, Mercy staff, and wrap-around service agencies that come alongside us to help remove the barriers for the participant.

 

• Wrap-Around Services: Working with other local non-profit organizations, churches and businesses in the community helps us to address the external barriers that our participants face. For example, childcare, transportation, employment, professional development and career planning, etc..

 

• Supportive Housing: For participants who do not have a permanent residence, such as living in a hotel, vehicle, couch-surfing, etc., we offer supportive housing (when available/not at capacity). We currently have the capacity to house 7 families. *Our future Mercy Village will increase this capacity substantially to 21 units for our adult program, and eventually be built up to 63 units for adults and 8 dorms for our student program (18+)

 

HEALTHY ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability measures are put in place to ensure that the client stays focused and on their goal path. Individuals who feel responsible for their actions are more likely to perform well and efficiently. Accountability can also foster greater commitment and increased success. By setting clear and measurable goals, requiring weekly meetings with Program coaches (Life Coach and Financial Coach), and monitoring the level of growth and acceptable performance around those goals, we can ensure that the participant is taking their program seriously and that they truly WANT change.

 

Ensuring accountability is done through providing recognition and celebration of all WINS and goals achieved. Compliance measures are also taken to address any issues with non-compliance of the program and to address any lack of progress within the participants Individualized Success Plan (ISP).

 

MERCY SUPPORT SERVICES

TRANSFORMED LIVES. BUILDING COMMUNITY

 

 The NEW Mercy Tier Model

 

In Mercy’s earlier years, our program term was 3-6 months. It has become clear to us that to see true life transformation and create long-term change in someone’s life, we must be more invested. This has been the driving force behind enhancing and elevating our Program Life Coaching model, as well as creating our new tiered approach.

 

Our program term now is driven by the internal barriers and external barriers that a participant is experiencing in their life. There are a total of four (4) tiers. Participants move from tier to tier based on where they start and how quickly they can progress through each tier. This is why having an effective Individualized Success Plan (ISP) and effective coaching program are extremely important. We estimate that each tier will be approximately one year. Meaning, some participants who have extreme internal and external barriers may come into program at a tier one level, and potentially spend a year in that tier. As they work through their ISP, become healthier, and can move onto new and more challenging goals, they will advance in the tier levels.

 

We are in the growing stages of our NEW model for both coaching and tiers and are piloting/evaluating it now! And while we are in the early stages of our growth, we have already begun to see the fruit and benefit of the changes we have made. We truly believe that as we continue to build our community collaborative partners for wrap-around services, continue tweaking and improving our new model, and as the future Mercy Village comes, the lives we can impact will be endless. Our prayer is that through the lives transformed and children impacted in those families, we will see a substantial decrease in generational poverty and circumstantial struggles! By tapping into the strengths of each individual we serve, restoring the inner person to a place of health and wellness, and equipping them to be financially stable; not only will those families thrive, but our entire community will as well.