ORANGE PARK – Mercy will kick off their summer peer-to-peer “Heart for Mercy Experience Challenge” with an informational ice cream social at Mercy’s Offices. This campaign is designed to encourage friends of Mercy to share the word of what Mercy does for the Clay County community, all while having fun and raising much needed funds during the summer months (when donations are at their lowest).

“I cannot thank our volunteers, staff, Board, and many generous benefactors enough for their continued efforts to assist Mercy Support Services in meeting the continued needs of our community, not only through the pandemic, but even now as we continue to deal with the aftermath” Hayle says. “As the population of Clay County grows, we see the needs continue to increase. Our work to meet these needs never ceases despite what’s going on around us, and we will look to the Clay County community as a sustaining resource for our efforts. We have a wonderful community and by working together, we give every citizen of Clay County the opportunity to thrive!”

According to The Florida Scorecard:

• 9.5% of Clay County’s population are below poverty level; 13.9% of children live in poverty and the trend is increasing.

• 37% of the Clay County population is classified as Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed with the trend increasing.

• The Clay County School District has identified nearly 860 students without a fixed address.

• 52.6% of students are on free and reduced lunch.

• 44.1% of Clay households are “housing cost burdened” which is defined as paying more than 30 percent of their incomes on housing; 21 percent of Clay households are “housing cost severely burdened” which is defined as paying more than 50 percent of their incomes on housing.

• The Clay County population is projected to increase to 300,000 from nearly 220,000 within 15 years.

For 10 years, Mercy Support Services has provided much needed supportive services to those in our community who are facing housing insecurity. Working collaboratively with churches, other non-profits and many other community agencies, Mercy helps Clay County families in crisis stabilize and move towards self-sufficiency. Last year, Mercy responded to more than 2,000 calls from individuals who reached out for help, touching more than 3,500 lives in Clay County.

The organization relies solely on donations from the community to fund our unique programs and services. Together, we can lead them back to a place of self-reliance, confidence, and optimism for a much brighter future.

For more information about Mercy Support Services, Heart for Mercy Experience Challenge  2022, or to donate visit MercySupportServices.org.