Days of SErvice
All members of the Mercy Family were invited to choose a meaningful way to participate in the 150th Anniversary through the We Are 150 Employee Engagement Initiative. Employees made gifts of “treasure” through a donation to the Mercy Forever campaign and offered their gifts of “time” by participating in community service activities held during the anniversary year. Kick-off events with live entertainment, food, and fun were held at Mercy Medical Center, Stella Maris, and Mercy’s community physician sites.
Mercy employees joined volunteers from across Baltimore on the SEED School of Maryland’s campus to unpack, assemble, and distribute over 400 Thanksgiving meals for SEED families. Meals were provided through the generosity of the Ed Reed Foundation and included frozen turkeys, fresh vegetables, stuffing, side dishes, and pumpkin pie.
The Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Festival of Trees is an annual benefit event that displays and sells hundreds of spectacular holiday trees, wreaths, and gingerbread houses created by local designers and community groups. Mercy employees created a 150th Anniversary-themed tree along with the Intensive Care Unit.
Mercy’s “Night Council” of night-shift nurses gathered a variety of delicious food items donated by their coworkers and delivered them to the Maryland Food Bank, a non-profit organization leading the movement to end hunger in Maryland.
Mercy’s Imaging Department chose BARCS as its charity to support during National Radiologic Technology Week in November. Two carloads of pet supplies—including dog and cat food, toys, treats, and blankets—were donated. Imaging staff also had the opportunity to mingle with some furry friends at the shelter.
Hosted by the Counseling Center at Stella Maris, Camp Me Too! is a two-day, one-night experience at Camp Puh’tok, Maryland, designed to help grieving children ages 7-16 learn innovative techniques to cope with grief. Volunteers served as set-up helpers, learning companions, cooks, and clean-up support.
Mercy volunteers and staff from our Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction participated in the “Stockings of Hope” event held at the Helping Up Mission—a non-profit that provides comprehensive, faith-based recovery services for men and women fighting addiction, poverty, and homelessness in Greater Baltimore. Mercy physicians provided complimentary foot and ankle exams for shelter residents, and employees of Mercy’s Center for Restorative Therapies, Human Resources department, and Mercy Health Foundation distributed Christmas stockings stuffed with essentials.
Mercy partnered with M&T Bank on three separate days of service at Our Daily Bread, the largest hot meal program in Baltimore City. Volunteers served 400 individuals on each day by organizing food stations and plating meals. Our Daily Bread serves more than 250,000 individuals annually.
Every year, members of the Mercy Pharmacy staff and other hospital personnel pull out their knitting needles and crochet hooks to make hats, scarves, and other knitted or crocheted items for those receiving services at Health Care for the Homeless. Nicknamed K2P2 & The Chain Gang, this group of Mercy volunteers contributes as many as 350 items per year for those in need.
Mercy holds an annual Adopt-A-Family initiative in conjunction with St. Vincent de Paul Baltimore. Mercy’s Social Work department oversaw the project and the Pastoral Care department delivered holiday gifts to 68 families in need.
Mercy employees participated in an organization-wide Back to School Drive, donating hundreds of new school supplies for the students at Mt. Royal Elementary Middle School in Baltimore’s Bolton Hill.
Mercy collected more than 250 toys for the annual toy drive at The Assisi House, the outreach center for St. Patrick and Sacred Heart of Jesus parishes that both provide food, clothing, referrals, and encouragement to neighbors in need.
Every year for the past 17 years, current and former staff of Mercy’s Medical-Surgical Unit have purchased and gift-wrapped holiday presents for students of the William S. Baer School, which serves children with disabilities from all over Baltimore City.
Mercy employees assembled art kits and volunteered at Port Discovery for its January Community Day, when families visit the museum at a discounted price. Our staff engaged one-on-one with children to help develop their confidence, creative thinking, critical thinking, and coordination skills.
Mercy staff assembled a variety of materials to assist with upcoming summer camps, art classes, and workshops at Art with a Heart, a non-profit that offers equitable access to visual art experiences for Baltimore City’s children, youth, and adults.
Staff came together to represent Mercy with a We Are 150-themed parade float, tossing colorful Mercy goodies to spectators of Baltimore’s 62nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Mercy’s leadership prepared a delicious taco dinner for 80 residents of Ronald McDonald House Charities Maryland, which has provided a home-away-from-home since 1982 for over 50,000 families with children undergoing serious treatment at a nearby medical facility.
Mercy staff helped kick off Baltimore’s city-wide Juneteenth commemorations by volunteering in Run Up To Juneteenth, an uplifting 5k event that benefits The SEED School of Maryland’s College Transition & Success Program.
Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. Mercy and Stella Maris volunteers raised funds and walked at both the Hunt Valley Towne Centre and the Stella Maris campus to raise awareness.
Mercy employees volunteered at the 5K For the Health of It! for Health Care Access Maryland (HCAM), a non-profit that helps residents find the insurance they need while providing a range of resources dedicated to promoting health and wellness.
Mercy joined the Oriole Bird in supporting Marian House’s 16th annual Race to Embrace Independence 5K fundraiser by assisting with check-in, manning water stations, and serving as directional guides. Marian House offers high-quality rehabilitative services and housing for women and families experiencing homelessness.
Over the course of two days, volunteers from Mercy and our corporate partners at M&T Bank, Gilbane, Centric Business Systems, and Marquette harvested zucchini and over 20,000 pounds of corn at the non-profit First Fruits Farm, which donates food up and down the Eastern Shore to people and organizations in need.
Mercy Medical Center nurses and staff members were stationed outside the main entrance to the hospital and formed Water Station #4 for the annual Baltimore Marathon, which benefits a variety of Baltimore charities. The Mercy team cheered on runners and provided much-needed hydration.
