Alyssa Frank shows off her painting skills to Dr. Owens during ASB Laredo 2007
The Mercy Works program has been established within the Office of Campus Ministry to reflect and enhance our commitment to the Mercy tradition of service to society. Our goal is to connect the talents of GMC students with people in need in our wider community, as well as to offer students opportunities to reflect on their experience of service.
"By her courageous, contagious love for the poor, Catherine McAuley connected the rich to the poor, the healthy to the sick, the educated and skilled to the uninstructed . . . to do the work of God on earth" (Tender Courage). Through the Mercy Works program, Campus Ministry at GMC strives to be faithful to Catherine's legacy.
Any student or faculty/staff member who would like to find--or establish--a service opportunity should contact Betsy Stone Plummer, Mercy Works Program Administrator at 215-641-5592 (x592 on campus) or plummer.b@gmc.edu .
Current programs include:
Students returning from ASB Cincinnati 2006
Habitat for Humanity
Mercy Works sponsors several Saturday workdays each year for Gwynedd-Mercy College students to get involved with the Montgomery County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Groups will depart from Visitation at 8 am and return around 4 pm. HFH workdays are known for being fulfilling and rewarding experiences, therefore volunteer spots are in high demand. Please sign up early! Stay tuned for dates.
Manna on Main, Lansdale PA
Manna on Main is a local organization that serves poor and hungry residents in the area. Mercy Works volunteers are needed monthly to prepare meals at Visitation House and to serve them at Manna. Stay tuned for dates; spots fill up quickly!
Mercy Consulting Group
Students with interests or abilities in business and computer science are needed! Local non-profit organizations are often short-staffed when it comes to administrative needs. We receive many requests for students to assist with data management, web-based applications, public relations projects, and the like. Volunteers with the MCG will get great resume-building experience while giving critical support to an organization in need. Click here to sign up
Mercy Mentors
Students from Gwynedd-Mercy College are paired with children and adolescents residing at St. Mary’s Villa for Children and Families in Ambler, to develop mentoring relationships during the school year. Training is provided in the September. Students gather with the children in a group setting as well as one-on-one. GMC students are asked to commit to this program for the entire school year in order to provide stable relationships for the children with whom they are paired.
Hunger & Homelessness Week
This event serves to raise awareness of the extent of homelessness, hunger, and poverty in our country. Mercy Works is currently recruiting volunteers to serve on the H&H Week Planning Committee, and additional volunteers to get involved throughout the week.
GMC Holiday Outreach
Students collect food and gifts for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for families who otherwise would not be able to celebrate the season. Watch your This Week in Campus Ministry e-mail for ways to get involved!"
Students visit Window Rock during ASB St. Michaels 2007
Alternative Spring Break
March 1-6, 2008 Mercy Works sponsors spring break service trips each year to various sites throughout the United States. In past years we have traveled to Arizona, Texas, Ohio, New Orleans and New York. Students are immersed in the life of a community and work alongside its members in service. Participants also learn about the daily and long-term issues challenging the community, placing it in a position of need. Recruitment will begin in early October. Students pay only $50 personally, but make a significant commitment to fund-raising. Several preparation and fundraising meetings will take place leading up to the trip. Stay tuned for this year's locations and application materials.
For more info or to sign up, Contact Mercy Works 215-641-5592 or on campus: x592 or x128 or email: plummer.b@gmc.ed
