The House Of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to faithfully providing mental health and educational services to children and their families that encourage caring, compassion, and a sense of well being in a welcoming and comfortable environment. HISTORY: The seed of the House of Mercy and Encouragement began with the…

We are happy to announce that our resale shops are once again accepting donations. Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the back entrances of all three locations. Although we are not open for shopping, please stay tuned as plans are evolving! To process donations in the safest…

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With students stuck at home, unable to go to school, access to new books can be a challenge. There is a woman in the Tampa Bay area with a bus load of books, that’s making sure students keep reading no matter what. When Bess The Book Bus comes rolling into a school parking…

Champions for Children offers virtual playgroups for kids, and the playgroups prove to be a valuable resource to parents as well.  Check out the wonderful article on the Tampa Bay Times:  https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2020/05/09/as-even-playgroups-go-virtual-its-often-the-parents-who-benefit-most/

MTC’s job training and certification programs are more critical than ever, as MTC clients will re-enter a hyper-competitive job market after the COVID-19 crisis has passed. In its April 10, 2020 report on the impact of COVID-19, the TampaBay Partnership stated that “individuals with a disability may present unique challenges for medical and emergency personnel,…

Veteran Tamara Newton has never been late on bills. But as one of the 6 million Americans who had to file for unemployment after being laid off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was unable to pay her rent, plus some of her other bills too. She was at her leasing office asking about a…

As spring break wrapped up for Antonio Garcia, the Army veteran looked forward to getting back to Fisher College in Boston to finish his sophomore year and move closer to his degree in business management. A wounded warrior who followed in a family tradition of military service, Garcia understands when things don’t go as planned.…

Sheila had never darkened the doors of a food pantry before.  She never had the need.  But, last month she was furloughed from her job and had yet to receive unemployment benefits.  She hesitated to take something for nothing.  We assured her that ECHO existed for neighbors exactly like her.  The next week, as she…

With COVID-19 front and center of everything we saw as normal, we know so many families are echoing the same stories of uncertainty right now. Single mothers are doing this alone. Our purpose here at Shepherd’s Village is to walk alongside these moms in all seasons of their life, by sharing the gospel, sharing resources,…