CLAY COUNTY — Laughter is the best medicine. It makes for great marketing, too. The goal of the Inaugural 2024 Comedy Event is to raise awareness for Mercy Support Services, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting families facing housing insecurity

For the first time, Mercy has scheduled three comedy shows that are family-friendly fun. Registering is free, and you can do so at mercysupportservices.org/comedy/.

Mike Williams will be headlining the three comedy shows:

• The Springs Church on Friday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
• Russell Baptist Church on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m.
• River Christian Church on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m.

Williams is effortlessly funny and has a real knack for crowd work. He can't help but crack a few complimentary jokes. 

"I'm unioned. I haven’t clocked in yet, so I’m sorry, but I can’t be funny,” he said. 

Williams is a big name in the industry. He won the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Comedian of the Year. He said his comedy routines used to play on the Laugh USA channel on Sirius XM until they "reshuffled the deck a couple of years ago."

“On the other hand, I have learned to crochet and mastered five languages," he said. 

Kidding aside, Williams does have a commendable resume. He's both a comic and a missionary. He said he and his wife founded a mission in the Dominican Republic. So, he certainly resonates with Mercy Support Services. 

During the interview, I said, "I really appreciate your blend of comedy and altruism, these personal avenues of expression which you have used to make the world a better place." 

“And I really appreciate your use of the word ‘altruism,’ which I’ve never heard in conversation. You must be at least 30,” Williams said with a laugh. “If we were playing Scrabble, you just flipped the board.”

("Altruism" is worth 10 points in Scrabble.)

"Actually, I am turning 24 soon," I said my birthday was on one of the scheduled shows. 

“Well, happy birthday. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in the crowd when you’re so much older," he teased. "If he was saying 'altruism' before, just imagine what he'll be saying next."

Williams' expertise in tomfoolery does not lack empathy. 

“People need to laugh right now. It doesn’t matter what side of the political aisle you’re on. Nobody feels quite happy with everything, let’s put it that way," he said. 

“It’s going to be a great show," he said. 

Williams will be joined by Jon Fontana from Tampa and Tim Boyd from Sarasota. The show is highly anticipated, none more so than Mercy itself. The nonprofit has supported families in crisis in Clay County for more than 12 years and continues to grow. 

"Our caring staff and volunteers wrap their arms around these families who want pure and positive change in the lives of themselves and their families. This is done by a tried-and-true process where families are coached through a series of financial, personal and spiritual training, creating a ripple effect in the lives of the children in these families. We are hoping this comedy event will help us spread the news of what we do and why we do it," JoLynn Carter, assistant director of development, said. 

For more details call (904) 297-4052 or email jcarter@mercysupportservices.org.