staying connected in a new world
People Making a Difference
People stepped up in amazing ways across the Mountain Plains to provide much-needed support in 2020. Every contribution is appreciated, and you truly made a difference in the lives of so many residents!
When Francis Peak View in Kaysville, Utah, called with a request for virtual tutoring, Vic did not hesitate. He had spent time volunteering with Mercy Housing in the past and was excited to help youth residents finish out their school year. With a background in IT, it was a natural fit for Vic to help two elementary school girls learn how to navigate the unchartered waters of remote learning.
Vic supported the youngsters through a variety of different learning platforms that were new to everyone. Together, they worked on reading, math, and other school-related projects the two needed help with. Most importantly, though, Vic believed it was a great way to help youth continue to feel connected during a time of such uncertainty.
“Being a virtual tutor really helped me. It was nice to see other people moving along when everyone was feeling very isolated. It was also a good check-in for the kids and provided them with a routine,” said Vic.
The tutoring sessions were one hour a day for two weeks and helped the girls feel pride as they finished out the school year.
“The kids appreciated the consistency every day,” said Vic. “I felt it was a good experience for all of us.”
Wellbeing checks reached
10x
more residents in 2020 with 22x more services — offering support to help residents navigate the pandemic.
It was nice to see other people moving along when everyone was feeling very isolated.”
— Vic, Mercy Housing virtual tutor
With many residents isolated from friends and family, taking time out for a friendly “care call” from a Mercy Housing employee was a wonderful way to help ease the stress and anxiety that so many were feeling. Jennifer, Mission Education and Value Integration Director, loved the idea of talking with seniors, and other residents who were socially distancing, and jumped at the chance to connect with residents.
The purpose of the care call was to check-in on residents, give them an avenue to discuss any concerns they may have, and to simply let them know that we care about them. Being a Mercy Housing employee, Jennifer understands intimately the importance of providing resident support and enjoyed being able to volunteer and give back in this way.
“I don’t get a chance to connect directly with residents very often, and I thought this would be meaningful and useful,” said Jennifer.
Each week, Jennifer reached out to six different residents several times to check-in, and the resident response was been very positive.
“It was a real treat to connect with them, I learned who likes science fiction, who grew up where, and heard stories about their kids. They were often short conversations but were a genuine connection. To a person, they appreciated that Mercy Housing was reaching out and checking on them to see if they are ok,” said Jennifer.
Titina, who heads up Member Engagement for Foresters Financial, was a silver lining for residents of Aromor Apartments in Denver early in 2020. She was quick to pivot and meet the needs of residents when they needed it most. The national life insurance group strives to enrich the lives of its members and better the communities in which they live.
Originally, Titina helped organize a volunteer opportunity for Foresters’ members to assemble and distribute care kits to Mercy Housing residents.
This event would offer up a double-dose of good — giving Foresters Financial members an avenue to give back to their community and help Mercy Housing residents with much-needed supplies.
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, volunteers were unable to be onsite at the properties and this volunteer opportunity was put on hold.
Although the volunteer event was canceled, Titina still wanted to help!
Soon after, much-needed supplies, such as facial masks, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items started to arrive. All 66 Aromor residents received a care kit to help ease the burden of the pandemic and economic downturn.
Thank you, Titina, and our friends at Foresters Financial for providing the much-needed supplies!
