Letter from the Executive Director

Without a doubt, this past year has tested us and the people in our care. When New York City became the epicenter of a global health crisis, many of our programs were suspended and the people we support were unable to leave their homes due to COVID-19 safety guidelines. The pandemic made us pause, reflect, and establish new initiatives to ensure that our residents were able to remain healthy, happy, and safe.

The incredible strides we made as an organization were made possible by our dedicated staff who stepped up during the tough times and helped us navigate through this new reality. Throughout all the growth and change we experienced, they never wavered on our mission to enrich the lives of adults and children with developmental disabilities. I am so proud of each and every employee who brought their very best to work throughout the COVID-19 crisis, and who embodied our core values of respect, trust, teamwork, care, and compassion.

Despite challenges, with your help, we were able to continue cultivating the talents of the people we care for in a significant way while also keeping our residents safe during a period that was difficult for them to understand. We rapidly evolved our programs to meet the needs of the moment, established new partnerships, and created innovative, sensory friendly, and virtual activities to keep our community engaged.

This work—and much more—is detailed in the following report, which gives insight into all that we accomplished and overcame. As we share these highlights, we are reminded of the outpouring of love and generosity we received from so many of you. We remain deeply grateful to our supporters, staff, partners, and our community who inspire us with their commitment to our mission.

Our work to make this a more compassionate and inclusive world for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities continues as we help the people we support discover their individual gifts and abilities. Now as many of our residents and staff have become fully vaccinated and our city reopens , we look forward to safely resuming many of the activities that they have missed.

I could not be prouder of who we are and what Mercy Home is doing today, and your support makes it all possible. Thank you for standing with us and helping us teach life skills, lifelong.

Janice Aris

Janice Aris, MS, MSW Executive Director