Mercy Support Services
Our church sponsors 2 units of group homes provided by Mercy Support Services for families, single women and single men who are transitioning from homelessness to independence. Teams rotate to provide welcoming services to new residents and a home cooked meal once a month. Volunteers can join a team to visit, cook, offer assistance, do repairs on the houses as needed or even pray with the families in the home. The Mercy Support Services staff provides classes to facilitate budgeting, resume building, job searches and other tools that will facilitate the move to independent living. Volunteers are always needed. A founding presence, Orange Park Methodist has been a proud supporter of Mercy Support Services both financially and with volunteers since it's inception.
Mission
Mercy Support Services serves the people of Clay County, Florida who are circumstantially in need by providing services that guide them to self-sufficiency through an integrated network of compassionate hearted people and organizations. In 2003 eight faith-based organizations decided to meet to share information on how to better serve the needy in Clay County. Each month, dozens of local agencies and churches gather to share information and identify gaps and duplication in services, creating a more efficient and streamlined process for everyone. No one organization can meet all of the needs of a family in crisis. By building bridges among social service agencies in Clay County, all of us together, can better serve those in need.
Our Call Center
Their Resource/Referral Call Center Hotline captures the needs of people of Clay County. Mercy is the hub of information and referrals to help direct callers to the appropriate resources. Callers are taken through a brief qualifying intake of questions by our compassionate Call Center Care Agents to best determine their needs. They are then referred to the organizations that are able to best assist them with their specific concern(s) such as housing, employment, transportation, child-care, financial/budgeting education, physical and mental health services, food and clothing.
Mercy Support Call Center Care Agents are available from:
8:30 AM – 4:30 AM / Monday – Friday
(904) 297-4052
Our Self-Sufficiency Program
Mercy Support Services is built on the premise, “A Hand Up, Not A Hand Out”, guiding individuals and families from a temporary crisis to permanent self-sufficiency. Using a care coaching approach, MSS steers clients to housing, shelter, training programs, food, child care and other resources. Each family or individual is provided with a Care Coach Mentor throughout the process with a goal of no longer needing supportive services. Our program is designed to assist displaced families in Clay County in receiving housing and support while on their journey to self-sufficiency. In addition, through the “Adopt-a-Supportive Home program”, volunteers provide meals, cleaning products and personal care items.
How We Do What We Do:
Mercy Support Services relies on grants and donations to fund its programs. MSS is a volunteer driven organization with a number of volunteers holding key positions. There are two fulltime and three part-time paid MSS employees who are funded through grants, and donations. The task of guiding a family to self-sufficiency is far too great for any one organization, so MSS collaborates and partners with over 19 churches and many community organizations such as CareerSource, Clay County Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Florida Community Action Agency, Episcopal Children’s Services, First Coast YMCA, ElderSource, Council on Aging, Clay Behavioral, Quigley House, Way Free Medical Clinic, Department of Public Health and Clay Transit.
