Dear Friend,
Human connection is our superpower. Our programs – focused on food, family, and education – are based on seeing first-hand, the power of people helping people.
The invaluable one-on-one time young learners in Community Schools receive from our reading intervention specialists addresses the learning loss from the pandemic. Our curated enrichment activities like tennis, comic book club, soccer, and arts & technology, offer a safe space to step outside their comfort zone. Through our Send Hunger Packing program (SHUP), nutritious, specially packed weekend meals are offered to students who qualify for free and reduced breakfast and lunch, nourishing them every day, not just when they are in school.
The joy on the faces of children who attend the Preschool engaging in hands-on experiential learning – pumpkin picking, marching proudly in their Hispanic Heritage parade, collecting acorns as a counting exercise, yoga-inspired breathing techniques to self-regulate emotions – is a testament to our dedicated staff preparing them for kindergarten and beyond.
The impact of the Family and Parent Engagement Program is profound and responsive to the needs of our neighbors. Local families have access to resources for housing, immigration, legal, parenting, adult education, and mental health services. Adults, children, and families are cared for with kindness and treated with the utmost dignity.
Multiple days a week, over 250 volunteers walk through the doors of Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, steadily packing food bags for their neighbors throughout Mercer County. With over 6 million meals distributed in collaboration with our pantry partners in 2023, the need to address food insecurity does not cease. The hands that fill the bags are hands of strength and commitment.
Mercer Street Friends responds to our neighbors throughout Mercer County, thanks to you. We invite you to join us in reflecting on the power of these vital programs and those who make them possible, through the human connection.
Your gift affirms the power of people helping people.
Sincerely,
Bernie Flynn
CEO
