MESA, Ariz. - About 20 low-income youth residents, ages 5 to 12, rang in the holiday season this afternoon by giving back to the community and their families as part of Mercy Housing Southwest’s Jingle Bell Hop.
The three-stop, five hour-long event took the children to Paz de Cristo to deliver canned goods, Mercy Housing Southwest’s senior property Page Commons to sing carols, and back to their home at Villas de Merced where they prepared gifts for their families. The celebration helped the children feel a part of and give back to their community, said Lena Kelly, Mercy Housing Southwest Regional Director of Resource Development.
“Many of these children went home tonight to apartments without trees or gifts, because their own families cannot afford to celebrate the holidays,” Kelly said. “Through the Jingle Bell Hop, they had the opportunity to give to others who are in similar situations and see the importance of their gifts.”
At Paz de Cristo, an outreach ministry of St. Timothy Catholic Community and the first stop on the Jingle Bell Hop, youth delivered 200 canned goods donated by Mercy Housing Southwest residents. Paz de Cristo serves food daily to homeless and working poor individuals at Eastside Community Center. Mercy Housing Southwest hopes to establish a partnership with the outreach ministry to offer more volunteer opportunities for Villas de Merced youth residents.
From the community center, children went to Page Commons, a Mercy Housing Southwest affordable housing property for seniors in Gilbert, Ariz., where they sang carols and presented gifts to the low-income residents. Page Commons is home to about 100 seniors who make a median annual household income of about $11,275, only 14 percent of Gilbert’s median household income in 2007. Mercy Housing Southwest regularly brings together its family and senior residents for community events.
The Jingle Bell Hop’s final stop was back at the children’s home at Villa de Merced. The family property is home to about 320 residents, including about 180 children, who make a median household income of $20,000, or about 40 percent of Mesa’s median household income. Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with Tangent City Band, joined the children at Villa de Merced, where the children played in “snow” and made gifts for their families. The Tangent City Band donated their time to perform holiday music at the event.
About Mercy Housing Southwest
Mercy Housing Southwest, a regional office of Mercy Housing, has 14 properties in Arizona that are home to nearly 1,300 residents, including low-income families and seniors, who make an average annual income of about $9,150. Mercy Housing, a national not-for-profit affordable housing organization headquartered in Denver, has a presence in 41 states, serves more than 115,000 people on any given day and has participated in the development, financing or operation of more than 34,500 homes. About 75 percent of Mercy Housing’s portfolio is rental units, and the remaining 25 percent is homeownership. Mercy Housing serves families, seniors and people with special needs (formerly homeless, people with HIV/AIDS and the developmentally disabled). For more information about Mercy Housing, please visit www.mercyhousing.org.
The three-stop, five hour-long event took the children to Paz de Cristo to deliver canned goods, Mercy Housing Southwest’s senior property Page Commons to sing carols, and back to their home at Villas de Merced where they prepared gifts for their families. The celebration helped the children feel a part of and give back to their community, said Lena Kelly, Mercy Housing Southwest Regional Director of Resource Development.
“Many of these children went home tonight to apartments without trees or gifts, because their own families cannot afford to celebrate the holidays,” Kelly said. “Through the Jingle Bell Hop, they had the opportunity to give to others who are in similar situations and see the importance of their gifts.”
At Paz de Cristo, an outreach ministry of St. Timothy Catholic Community and the first stop on the Jingle Bell Hop, youth delivered 200 canned goods donated by Mercy Housing Southwest residents. Paz de Cristo serves food daily to homeless and working poor individuals at Eastside Community Center. Mercy Housing Southwest hopes to establish a partnership with the outreach ministry to offer more volunteer opportunities for Villas de Merced youth residents.
From the community center, children went to Page Commons, a Mercy Housing Southwest affordable housing property for seniors in Gilbert, Ariz., where they sang carols and presented gifts to the low-income residents. Page Commons is home to about 100 seniors who make a median annual household income of about $11,275, only 14 percent of Gilbert’s median household income in 2007. Mercy Housing Southwest regularly brings together its family and senior residents for community events.
The Jingle Bell Hop’s final stop was back at the children’s home at Villa de Merced. The family property is home to about 320 residents, including about 180 children, who make a median household income of $20,000, or about 40 percent of Mesa’s median household income. Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with Tangent City Band, joined the children at Villa de Merced, where the children played in “snow” and made gifts for their families. The Tangent City Band donated their time to perform holiday music at the event.
About Mercy Housing Southwest
Mercy Housing Southwest, a regional office of Mercy Housing, has 14 properties in Arizona that are home to nearly 1,300 residents, including low-income families and seniors, who make an average annual income of about $9,150. Mercy Housing, a national not-for-profit affordable housing organization headquartered in Denver, has a presence in 41 states, serves more than 115,000 people on any given day and has participated in the development, financing or operation of more than 34,500 homes. About 75 percent of Mercy Housing’s portfolio is rental units, and the remaining 25 percent is homeownership. Mercy Housing serves families, seniors and people with special needs (formerly homeless, people with HIV/AIDS and the developmentally disabled). For more information about Mercy Housing, please visit www.mercyhousing.org.