Looking for that perfect gift for the person who has everything? This Christmas, give the Gift of Mercy.

Why not give a gift to help someone who has nothing? Donate to Mercy Housing and Shelter in the name of friends, relatives or loved ones who have so much. If 8-year-old Mira Bella can do it, so can you! Read her story and scroll below for great gift ideas in all price ranges!

Our youngest donor, eight-year-old Mira Bella Peters, hugs her puppy, Nina

At first, Mira Peters wanted a puppy when she turned 8 in October. But after some thought, she and her mom, Pam, decided to celebrate her birthday by asking for donations - in Mira’s name - to Mercy Housing and Shelter. Mira collected a van full of clothing, household goods and cash donations to help people less fortunate. A month later, to reward Mira’s generosity, her parents surprised her with Nina, a Miniature Schnauzer. So, why not take a cue from our youngest donor and give Gifts of Mercy this holiday season? Mira will tell you that the rewards are grrreat!

Gary Cain has been a Jets fan since 1977. But the first time he saw his favorite team live was two months ago when Jets Coach Eric Mangini sponsored a trip to a game for 15 Mercy clients. Cain, one of 118 adults living in Mercy transitional housing, was a college football player. The divorced father of three grew up in Fairfield County, but became ensnarled in addiction and lost it all.

After two years on Hartford streets, he's getting his life back . Thanks to donations, Mercy is able to provide Cain a warm meal, roof over his head, recovery counseling and guidance toward independence. We also are able to obtain free dental work and knee surgery for him. Cain, who turns 43 in February, is looking for work. In the meantime, he coaches Special Olympics, volunteers at a soup kitchen and provides security for his church. "I wasn't sure if going to the Jets game was an early birthday gift or early Christmas gift. But I thank the Jets and Mercy for the opportunity."

Below are some Gifts of Mercy recommendations.

You may donate online by clicking on the red bulb next to the item you want to donate. But first make a note of the amount and the gift.

You will be directed to the Network for Good website. Click on the green and blue “Donate Now” button. You will be directed to a screen where you need to enter your donation amount (you may choose from below).

You’ll also see the “Designation” box below. Please designate the Gift of Mercy you are donating, i.e. “Food for one homeless person for a year.”

To designate your donation for a specific fund or purpose, please enter a description of how you'd like your donation to be used.

Then you’ll see the “Dedication or Gift” box below. Please enter name of the person you are honoring with the Gift of Mercy. You will have a chance to mail an ecard to that person.

To give someone a Gift of Mercy is to donate to Mercy Housing and Shelter in that person’s name in the Dedication/Gift box. You will have a chance to send an ecard to that person at the end of making a donation.

You also my e-mail sbibisi@mercyhousingct.org to ask for a gift card to be sent to the person you have named in your donation. The card will be sent before Christmas. The donor will receive a letter for tax-deduction purposes.

Below are suggestions for Gifts of Mercy to donate in honor of a friend, relative or loved one.

Gifts of Mercy

Meals

$400 Food for one homeless person for a year

$155 Food for one meal for one transitional living client for a month

$78 Food for three meals a day for one client for a week

$35 Food for one homeless person for a week at the Friendship Center

Housing

$12,000 Housing for a homeless adult for a year

$1,000 Housing for a homeless adult for a month

$800 Cover a security deposit for a new apartment for an adult coming out of homelessness.

$230 Housing for a homeless adult for a week

$52 Housing for a homeless woman for a night in Catherine’s Place

$32 Housing for a homeless adult for a night in a transitional program

MERCY SUCCESS STORY

Jose Oritz, 4, enjoys lunch with his mother and grandmother in the family room of the Friendship Center of St. Elizabeth House.

FAMILY FRIENDSHIP

With the cost of electricity, oil and gasoline skyrocketing, more and more families are relying on the Friendship Center , which serves two free meals a day, Monday through Friday, to scrape by. The Center features a family room that is separate from the main dining room. On any weekday at lunchtime, you will find several families eating together in the room, which also has a small play area for children.

A recent survey conducted by Mercy Housing and Shelter Corp., the agency that operates the Friendship Center, showed that about 40 percent of the people who take free meals at the Friendship Center, are working families. Not having to pay for two meals a day helps them stretch their limited dollars to pay for other essentials, such as rent, electricity and gasoline.

To VOLUNTEER at the Friendship Center click here.

MERCY MIRACLE

Mercy Client Earns GED, and Keys to Own Home

A chronically homeless middle-aged man with physical and emotional issues was unable to work and seemed incapable of helping himself when he arrived at a Mercy Housing and Shelter Corp. transitional housing facility five years ago.

He has since received medical treatment, earned his GED,  was trained for a job and now is working and lives in his own apartment. A case worker (partially funded by an Aetna Foundation grant) at the Mercy facility helped the man receive medical and mental health care, followed by guidance in setting and reaching goals.

Once he was on medication and recovered from eye surgery, a case worker helped him enroll in GED classes. After earning his high school diploma, a case worker, known at Mercy as a “recovery specialist,” referred him to a job training program. He was hired to work and was given the keys to his own apartment under a state program called Next Steps that Mercy administers.

The recovery specialist was partially funded by Aetna Foundation’s grant, Addressing Disparities in Health and Mental Health Services, to give homeless people equal access to medical and mental health services.

Homeless people, and particularly homeless people who are minorities, typically are unable to gain access to health care. The recovery specialist provides clients with medical, educational and job referrals and access to health care. The specialist also helps clients adhere to medication and treatment regimes, provide life-skills training and prepare clients to live on their own.

“Aetna’s funding is a generous and life-affirming commitment to helping overcome
the causes and impact of homelessness,” said Sister Patricia McKeon, executive director of Mercy Housing and Shelter Corp. “The recovery model we use – where a recovery special helps  clients set and meet goals - is the best one we’ve found to help people become independent.”

Read More Success Stories in the Mercy News