AmericanHelper

Mercy House provides fulltime living arrangements for more than 30 formerly homeless youth and their inhouse schooling, and health services provide physical nurturing and sustenance for many children in their community who may have a stable shelter but no other provisions. They have proven themselves such a needed resource that the Local Government Unit and friends from the US have supported their expansion. The new Campus will include a Medical Clinic, a school with age-appropriate classrooms, and a dormitory that will allow them to care for nearly 3x's more children than their current licensure. With the opening of the Joseph Reyes Center they have established a separate 501c3 solely for the support of their operations.

The Provincial Scholars program continues to support children who are in the public school system and those that have completed primary and secondary schooling that show promise but lack the resources to afford the requirements. School supplies are provided for children residing in several Barangays throughout Albay and Bicol. The students who receive support for college have performed in the upper quartile of their class. Many of them have lost one or both parents and have taken on a level of responsibility to care for siblings as well as grandparents. Grants have been provided to cover tuition and documentation for employment as well as small business startup funds.

Children's Garden is licensed by the Department of Social Welfare as a Residential Care facility providing housing and supplemental education to boys who had been living on the streets of Metro Manila. Many have been deemed to be In crisis with the Law and without facilities like Children's Garden they would be housed in the overcrowded municipal jails. Teachers and Social Workers working with Children's Garden enabled more than 11 of these boys to graduate from their age-appropriate grades this past year. Having access to teachers, a library and classroom within Children's Garden allows most of the boys to catch up to their age group peers and graduate close to on-time. Those that complete High School benefit from a partnership with Second Phase, a local group that provides vocational training and coaching in life skills.

The general condition of marginalized individuals deteriorated greatly during the COVID outbreak and assistance was provided for the emergent situation in the metropolitan areas of St Paul and Minneapolis. Funding for sanitation, shelter, winter warmth, food and healthcare was provided to nearly 48 individuals or families.