She was about to become a college student—and step into a future that once may have felt impossible.
At 19, this intelligent, talented young artist was preparing for college after a childhood marked by severe trauma and instability. When her case manager reached out to Mercy Mall, she had very little to take with her as she prepared for dorm life.
Her request didn’t fit neatly into one Mercy Mall program—and that’s what made this story so special. Our programs came together to fit around her.
Staff, volunteers, and donors gathered clothing, bedding, a backpack, toiletries, and dorm essentials. But this wasn’t about simply checking items off a list. We learned her favorite colors, her style, and what she wanted her new space to feel like. We wanted her to arrive with things that felt like her.
When asked what she was most nervous about, her answer wasn’t moving somewhere unfamiliar. After years of instability, change was familiar.
Would she fit in? Would she find a friend?
At that moment, she was just like so many other freshmen preparing for their first day of college.
Because you give, donate, volunteer, and support Mercy Mall, we can meet people where they are and surround them with care. And as this young woman begins her next chapter, she’ll do so with people in her corner—reminding her that she is seen, valued, and that she belongs.