Come As You Are To Get Where You’re Going.
Mercy Connections transforms lives. It provides education, training, support resources and reentry services for adults seeking a better life.
Adults reach their goals in an inclusive, compassionate community; Vermont’s economy is stronger because of new businesses started by Mercy Connections’ graduates; people involved in the justice system successfully reenter our community; and Vermonters gain knowledge and connections that lead to healthy and fulfilling lives. Programs & Services
• Academic Tutoring
• Community Meal Programs
• English Language Learning
• Inclusive Entrepreneurship
• Justice, Mentoring & Reentry
• Personal Growth Education
• U.S. Citizenship Preparation
Staff
Raquel Aronhime, Veronica Bernicke, Heidi Brown, Jacob Cribbs, Lisa Falcone, Heather Gilbert, Maeve Keating, Melissa Lang, Bernard Mampouya, Maxine McGowan, Kelly Moran, Joanne Nelson, Caroline Olson, Ashley Sandy, Alana Shaw, Abigail Stevenson, Marissa Strayer-Benton, Victoria Tamas, Claire Wheeler
Board of Directors
Fran Briand, Sr. Lindora Cabral, Arline Duffy, Joy Hastings, Ed Howe, Nicole LaBrecque, Michell Langlais, Amit Lodha*, Subha Luck*, Ray Rouleau, Louisa Williams Schibli, Marie Teme, Ashley Wainer, Leandre Waldo*, Jason Williams
*Completed service on June 30, 2024
DEAR FRIEN D,
Reflecting on another remarkable year, I am filled with immense gratitude and joy for the incredible journey that we have shared together. It is with your steadfast support that Mercy Connections experienced another period of profound growth and renewed purpose.
This past year, we expanded our reach and deepened our impact, serving more people than ever before—a statement I find myself making year after year. Our programs in small business development, English language learning, literacy, mentoring and personal growth flourished and provided the structure people needed to reach their goals.
The transformative power of community is ever-present, making Mercy Connections more than a simple education center. It fuels our work and nourishes a sense of belonging that is critical to our participants’ wellbeing and growth. Our new tagline, Come as you are to get where you’re going, expresses our commitment to fostering a compassionate and inclusive community.
Thank you for believing in our mission and supporting participants’ hopes, dreams, and determination to get ahead.
I look forward to continuing this journey with you.
With deep appreciation,
Lisa Falcone Executive Director
FINDING CONFIDENCE
“Mercy Connections has given me the confidence to pursue my dreams and to accept myself for where I am on my journey. It is a joyful response for me to now be able to give back.”
Jodi Personal Growth Participant
I am a mother, a wife, a writer, and a survivor of mental health conditions. When I came to Mercy Connections, I was doing a lot of hiding and isolating. I needed a place that would accept me as I was and help me get to where I wanted to go.
Mercy Connections inspires others to follow their dreams like it has for me. There is friendship, education, compassion, and a willingness to serve others, which makes it a special community for all.
During COVID, I was hospitalized. I wanted to get by with writing and I was only allowed three pages of paper a day. So, I wrote three poems for three patients. I wrote about seeing them beyond their illness. People liked it so much that they gave me their three pages of paper so I could continue to write. As a thank you, people gave me flowers from the courtyard in styrofoam cups.
Later, I attended my first class called Pens and Pages. As a writer, I wanted to read and write in the community. The instructor gave me confidence to grasp my dreams. I had been writing my memoir and she encouraged me throughout the class to continue my journey.
I then participated in the Vermont Community Leadership Program, and I felt a pull to do more. I wanted to speak and share my story of resilience with living with a mental health condition.
Now, I have published a book, “Living With the Neighbors”, and am working part-time to assist others with mental health conditions. Mercy Connections encourages all to be bravely themselves. It is a wonderful gift given at such a needed time.
GETTING MY SMILE BACK
I am from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and study English at Mercy Connections. I speak French, Tshiluba, Lingala and will soon be fluent in English, too!
In the Congo, I was a businessman. Unfortunately, I could not escape the violence around me. A friend and her family were attacked and raped, and I was devastated. I wrote a song entitled “Give Me Peace” that called for peace for women and to stop the violence. However, it was discovered and I started to receive threats. People were watching and following me. They tried to burn down my house. I moved, and more threats came. To stay safe, I moved to the U.S.
I did not know English when I arrived. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to live here and not speak English. I felt like a baby. I was completely helpless! I felt alone and so embarrassed.
It was easy for me to join Mercy Connections because some of the staff speak French. How is it possible to not learn quickly when there is coffee, and the food is made with so much love, respect and consideration?
At Mercy Connections, you don’t just learn to speak English; you get a community of support. When I came to Mercy Connections is when my smile came back.
Now I have a job. But life is serious. Any time I am absent from class, I say I need to go to Mercy Connections to get my smile back.
Thank you for making me smile again, Mercy Connections!
Basile English Language Learning Participant
“At Mercy Connections, you don’t just learn to speak English; you get a community of support. My English class is like a family.”
KNOWLEDGE HAS NO BOUNDARIES
Participants represent 51 countries, speak 23 different first languages, and live in 13 counties in Vermont
BECAUSE OF YOU
860 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN
781 COMMUNITY LUNCH MEALS SERVED
880 FOOD, COATS AND BASIC NECESSITIES DISTRIBUTED
Program Highlights
US CITIZENSHIP PREPARATION
JUSTICE, MENTORING & REENTRY
PERSONAL GROWTH EDUCATION
Services Success
98% OF PARTICIPANTS SURVEYED SAID THEY MADE PROGRESS TOWARDS THEIR GOALS 135% Growth in the Number of Programs
100% OF PARTICIPANTS SURVEYED SAID THEY HAD INCREASED FEELINGS OF HOPE, CONNECTION OR BELONGING
• 100% of participants who took the citizenship exam have passed, maintaining a 100% success rate for more than a decade
• 1,575 hours of service provided by 48 volunteer mentors
• 194 incarcerated women+ participated in justice and mentoring programs
INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
• 37 new businesses launched and expanded in Vermont
• Helped establish the Pride & Prosperity Network, alongside community partners
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
• 62% growth in participation year-over-year
• 56% of students participated in 2 or more programs
• 172 people participated in personal growth programming at both Mercy Connections and the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility
• 97% of participants reported an increase in knowledge or new skills
Participants represent 51 countries, speak 23 different first languages, and live in 13 counties in Vermont
OPENING DOORS
“It’s a pretty great feeling to have a whole group of classmates cheering you on to follow your heart each week! It gave me the push I needed to get things done.”
Lily Inclusive Entrepreneurship Participant
I own a wine bar and bottle shop in Winooski named Standing Stone Wines. My love affair with Mercy Connections started in 2022 while I was having a glass of wine with a friend. I was telling her how almost a year out of cancer treatment, I was starting to feel stronger physically and mentally. I was ready to start taking steps towards a promise I’d made to myself when I was sick, which was to open my dream business, a wine shop.
In 2019 and 2021 I was treated for lymphoma. My family, friends, medical workers and complete strangers were so kind to me. There were hundreds of acts of kindness and each touched me deeply, and I knew I needed to pay forward this amazing positive energy in some way.
On my father’s side, we are Oneida Indians, People of the Standing Stone. Alcoholism is a terrible disease that has plagued Indigenous communities for centuries. It was a challenge for me
to feel good about profiting from alcohol. I made the decision to name the store after my tribe, Standing Stone Wines, and donate a portion of retail sales to an Indigenous cause each month.
Thinking about how much there was to do was very overwhelming. I found that the Start Up program made me believe I could really do it!
The instructors are knowledgeable, kind and happy to answer any questions. It’s a pretty great feeling to have a whole group of classmates cheering you on to follow your heart! Mercy Connections opened doors to resources that I didn’t even know were out there.
Thank you, Mercy Connections for being generous and taking chances on people like me and opening doorways for so many members of our community.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
136 People
14,280 Hours
Generosity of volunteers is a critical component to Mercy Connections.
VOLUNTEERS SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH
• Mentoring justice-involved women+
• Tutoring English language learning, academic support and U.S. citizenship preparation students
• Assistance at the front desk, community meals, general office support, welcoming participants, and more
We have immense gratitude for the volunteers who make this a place where everyone can learn, grow, heal, and connect.
MERCY CONNECTIONS FISCAL YEAR
JULY 1, 2023–JUNE 30, 2024
REVENUE: $1,519,572 EXPENSES: $1,491,470
POWER OF CONNECTION
“I am so inspired by Mercy Connections… Their work changes lives and is a part of building a thriving Vermont for all.”
Mari McClure President & CEO of Green Mountain Power
2024 Catherine McAuley Award Recipient
SINCERE GRATITUDE
When you support Mercy Connections, you help make positive change in Vermont. With more than 80% of Mercy Connections funding coming from private support, not do this without you.
To see a complete list of donors between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 please go to MercyConnections.org/supporters
THREE WAYS TO BE INVOLVED
Make a Gift
Scan the QR code, visit our website, or utilize the remittance envelope enclosed Volunteer
Reach out to info@mercyconnections.org
Become an Event Sponsor
Call 802-846-7063 or send an email to info@mercyconnections.org
255 S. Champlain Street, Suite 8 Burlington, VT 05401
802-846-7063 • mercyconnections.org
@mercyconnections
@mercyconnectionsinc