ORANGE PARK — Those who arrived at 515 College Dr. early Friday morning graciously took home a tiny jar of soil.

The gift wasn't just any grand gesture from Mercy Support Services. And it wasn't just a regular jar of soil. But rather, it was a memorable token extracted from a place that will soon grow and change lives forever.

It was a reminder that new beginnings are around the corner.

That day, Mercy, a nonprofit empowering families in Clay, broke ground on the first phase of Mercy Village. The long-awaited project is set to birth a community focused on transforming the lives of those facing housing insecurities and homelessness.

"Today we break ground, but more importantly we build a future," said Mercy CEO R. Patrick Hayle. "We build a place where our mission can grow. Where lives can be transformed and where community can come together."

The living complex will include nine quads, the first three already fully funded and ready to be built. With 34 units in total, each will consist of studio and two- and three-bedroom apartments.

Its community center will be completed by 2033.

The village won't be for those struggling with addictions and mental health, but rather for families in need of financial and social structure. Each will be mentored on how to save money, repair their credit scores, find jobs and become assets to the community.

Families will be expected to live at the Village for a year to a year-and-a-half. Once stable, they will be encouraged to rent or buy a home to support themselves.

"The true success of this project will be measured by the lives impacted inside these walls," Hayle said.

In the early days of Mercy, its staff and board knew that they would be unable to make a significant impact on the community without self-sufficiency programs with supportive housing.

With the help of the county, members and donors, the nonprofit purchased a few properties for this mission. But they realized having people spread throughout the county created unforeseen challenges.

That's why the idea for a centralized location like Mercy Village was developed. In 2020, the nonprofit purchased its current property from River Christian Church with big plans in store.

 The original blueprint called for three-story apartment buildings, estimated at $12 million. However, with each passing year, the cost to build began to increase. This pushed their dream further away.

But instead of giving up, Mercy revamped its strategy and kept moving forward.

Hayle said the groundbreaking ceremony marked the nonprofit's transition from dreaming and planning to building and serving.

"What you see behind us is the sight of a commitment to serve neighbors in need," he told the crowd of community members, local partners and elected officials.

The moment was deeply personal for Mercy Executive Director Dena Collins, who has been with the nonprofit for 17 years. Collins was a teen mother herself. Having a place like the Village then, she said, would've been a gamechanger at that time in her life.

"Mercy Village is one way we all get to respond," Collins said. "It is one way we get to link arms and say 'We see you. We value you. We are willing to walk with you and scale the walls together.'"

While it may seem like just a building, Collins said the Village is just the first step in helping those who are hurting. 

"It's also a renewed commitment to serve families who are struggling to walk alongside them in ways that are practical, loving and always rooted in hope."