Heart Of Mercy

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“It’s such a joy to see our residents, supported by so many friends and neighbors, working together in the spirit of community and the holidays. We are so blessed!”

What better time to give or receive a gift from the heart than during the holidays! In the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago you will find a 30-acre campus where wonderful miracles take place each day. Misericordia, Latin for “heart of mercy,” offers a residential community and a wide range of exceptional programs for 600 children and adults who have moderate to profound developmental disabilities and come from many racial, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Each day, with the help of dedicated staff and caring volunteers, the children and adults at Misericordia are discovering their unique talents and abilities through a variety of challenging work opportunities, including a bakery and art department. These two programs allow its residents to create a delicious mix of cookies, brownies and breads, as well as unique and beautiful greeting cards.

The Misericordia Hearts & Flour Bakery is one of the most popular work programs for the residents of Misericordia, and provides fulfilling jobs for more than 50 adults. Responsibilities in the bakery are tailored to meet the unique abilities of each person, from scooping chocolate chip cookie dough, to helping prepare orders for shipment. This bakery truly comes alive with the holidays, where the hundreds of volunteers lend their support, beginning the week of Thanksgiving and running straight through to New Years Day. These volunteers help the Bakery’s resident “Santa’s helpers” meet the high volume of bakery goodies that are ordered online and shipped all over the country.

“It’s such a joy to see our residents, supported by so many friends and neighbors, working together in the spirit of community and the holidays,” says Lois Gates, Assistant Executive Director. “We are so blessed!”

The Misericordia Heart Studios is focused on finding the artist in each of the Misericordia residents. Amaryllis flower kits are sold during the holiday season, where the resident artists paint holiday themed pots, while other residents pack the pots with bulbs and soil. A wide selection of greeting cards is also available, with each card having been designed by the resident artists with support from their art instructor. These heartwarming cards are perfect for giving or for sending a special message during the holiday season.•

To learn more about these programs and to purchase the products featured, please visit website at www.misericordia.com

 

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