Mercy House in Jersey City will offer food, clothing, support, affordable housing to those in need
Coming to serve the residents of Jersey City, the Archdiocese of Newark opened its second location of The Mercy House, a resource and referral center for people in need, in the former convent of St. Paul the Apostle Parish.
A blessing by Auxiliary Bishop Gregory J. Studerus and ribbon cutting ceremony were held on Dec. 5 as the house at 20 Greenville Ave. opened its doors.
“We know that there’s a tremendous need now, especially after the pandemic, so we are going to where we could serve,” Mercy House Director Cheryl A. Riley said. “We want to bring the mission of the Catholic faith to the women in residence and those that come to Mercy House.”
According to the 2020 American Community Survey, the poverty rate in Jersey City is 15.7 percent, meaning that 40.8k out of 260k people live below the poverty line.
Bishop Studerus said Mercy House would tremendously impact the community, providing nonperishable food, clothing, baby supplies, furniture, and help finding work and housing to all who request assistance.
“When people step forward and lend a hand, that’s when we start to see something that is real,” Bishop Studerus said. “That’s when we start to see what compassion and mercy are all about… what we see [at The Mercy House] is exactly God’s love in action.”
READ: Mercy House runs out of turkeys, buys more to serve those in need
Annette Miller, Coordinator for The Mercy House, recited an excerpt from the Gospel of Luke: The Parable of the Good Samaritan during the blessing. The message behind the reading – that there must be a continuous effort on the part of Christians to reach out and help others in need – aligns closely with the mission of The Mercy House, which is to offer a welcoming space to individuals and families in need.
Once a convent, the Greenville Avenue property has been functioning as a Class C boarding home under the name Mary’s Home for the past six years and was operated by Matt Laracy of Magnificat Home, Inc. In August, The Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Newark took over operations of the boarding home. Currently, 30 women reside in the former convent. The Mercy House provides residents with three hot meals per day. Residents pay reduced rent and board.
Resident Deverne Jones expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to live at The Mercy House, the only place she can afford.
“This [Mercy House] is more reasonable, comfortable. Hot meal…any time you want to eat,” she said in an interview with News 12.
According to Zumper.com, a real-estate research site, as of Dec. 3, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Greenville, Jersey City, is $1,595. This is a 14% increase compared to the previous year.
“We are happy to have Mercy House here in the Greenville section of Jersey City,” Jersey City Councilwoman Denise Ridley said. “The current residents of the house will benefit from the various services now offered due to this transition to Mercy House. Additionally, the Jersey City community will benefit from the services now available to all residents in need.”
The Mercy House will take up about half of the first floor of the building for its offices and rooms holding the food, clothing, baby supplies, and furniture donations offered to daytime clients.
Student volunteers from the Peer Ministry and Dominican Youth and Action Club at St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City were also present to serve refreshments while learning more about the mission of The Mercy House. Because it is located near the school, the group plans to be involved in future community service opportunities at The Mercy House, according to religion teacher Donna Ryan.
“It was eye-opening to see how much need there is in the community,” Megan Durkin, one of the student volunteers, said. “I’m looking forward to helping people who are less fortunate.”
Mercy House residents, neighbors, and volunteers filled the rooms to celebrate the services that will now be available in Jersey City. City officials in attendance included Jersey City Councilwoman Ridley and local fire department officials.
Santa Claus arrived on his sleigh to deliver toys and several boxes of canned goods donated by Camacho & Son Float Service. Santa also brought a bag full of stuffed animals donated to the baby supply room at Mercy House.
The Mercy House in Newark opened in 2018 and does not offer housing. At Thanksgiving this year, after giving away 200 birds in Newark, volunteers ran out of turkeys illustrating how the need for food is increasing.
The Jersey City Mercy House will be open every Monday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to offer food, clothing, and support. Special events like a Christmas toy giveaway will also be held annually.
For more than 25 years, the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Newark has offered retreats to heal the emotional and spiritual wounds of abortion. To expand on its outreach efforts, the Archdiocese launched The Mercy House in June 2018 to provide a welcoming space for individuals and families in need and to provide emotional support and healing in a comfortable, faith-filled environment for expecting mothers, individuals dealing with addiction, and those in abusive relationships. The Mercy House distributes items and resources to anyone in need.
Featured image: Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Newark opened The Mercy House in Jersey City on Dec. 5. (Jessica Miano/ Archdiocese of Newark)
