THE HUME FOUNDATION DONATES $1 MILLION TO MERCY SUPPORT SERVICES MERCY VILLAGE IN CLAY COUNTY FLORIDA

Generous Donation Launches Efforts of First Phase Construction of

Mercy Village in Clay County: 21 New Housing Units

 

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – May 17,2024 – Mercy Support Services is pleased to announce that the Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation has donated $1 million towards building Mercy Village in Clay County Florida. Mercy Village will be able to provide more housing for our self-sufficiency programs. In 2023, we were unable to provide housing for 1,485 people due to lack of available resources.

“I have personally witnessed the ripple effects of our post-Covid world on every family, including my own. The challenges of inflation and the ever-increasing housing crisis weigh heavily on us all,” said R. Patrick Hayle, CEO of Mercy Support Services. “We see evidence every day that most families hover on the brink of crisis and can be just one emergency away from being homeless. Through our self-sufficiency programs at Mercy Support Services, we equip families with the necessary education, resources and support to get to a place where they can thrive in life. With the establishment and completion of Mercy Village, we will increase our capacity to assist nine times more families in crisis within our community!”

The Hume Foundation marks the beginning of a major gifts match campaign, seeking to raise an additional $4.7 million to begin the vertical construction of the first Mercy Village building.

Mercy Village will be located on the five-acre campus of Mercy Support Services. The Village will utlimately house 242 people at any given time. This significant addition, comprising our supportive housing, campus and office building, and was made possible by a generous donation from the Legacy Group of Companies in 2020. Mercy Village will include three identical buildings, each consisting of 21 apartments with one, two, and three bedrooms. These residences will primarily host families, predominantly single mothers and their children, who are actively engaged in Mercy Support Services programs.

Mercy Village will feature a fourth building dedicated to housing unaccompanied youth. These dorms will cater to teens aged 18 and above who are still attending high school but facing housing insecurity. Additionally, this building will house a life skills activity center, providing essential resources and support.

Functioning as both a supportive housing facility and a space for clients participating in self-sufficiency programs, Mercy Village will play a pivotal role in transforming lives. Guided by our dedicated team of compassionate professionals and volunteers, Mercy’s self-sufficiency programs are designed to empower clients, ensuring they are treated with utmost respect and dignity as they navigate their journey towards stability and independence.

“We express our profound gratitude for the generous contribution from the Warren and August Hume Foundation towards Mercy Village,” said Bob Cowie, former Board Chair and current capital campaign chair of Mercy. “The capital campaign’s committee’s hope is that this gift will spur the families and businesses in our community to give generously from their hearts to create a lasting legacy in Clay. ”

About Mercy Support Services

Mercy Support Services is a one-of-a-kind organization in Clay County that excels at being a continuum of care that is consistent until clients are self-sufficient. Mercy Support Services is built on the premise, “A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out”. Through Mercy’s successful process, displaced families will experience a triumphant journey to self-sufficiency, which creates generational change.

Mercy’s mission is through Christ, we empower our neighbors who are circumstantially in need to strive for a stable and sustainable future. We provide self-sufficiency programs that ensure accountability and measurable results.

Mercy Support Services is currently in collaboration efforts with several Clay County non-profits in proactive and preventative efforts to ensure Clay County’s families live thriving, self-sufficient lives.

Additional renderings of Mercy Village are available upon request.

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Press Contact

JoLynn Carter, Assistant Director of Development

JCarter@mercysupportservices.org; 904.297.4059