Thirty Years of Mercy Project

On May 18, 2021, the House of Mercy celebrates its thirtieth anniversary. For three decades the ministry of providing love, dignity, and compassionate care to those living with HIV/AIDS. To commemorate this ministry, the House of Mercy has partnered with a team of faculty and students from Belmont Abbey College to create the Thirty Years of Mercy Project. This digital humanities project documents the legacy of the House of Mercy through a variety of media.

An oral history collection provides insights from individuals sharing their experiences of the House's history. A series of essays places the House's development along the larger story of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, both during the House's founding in 1991 and today. A digital archive will collect materials documenting the House's three decades of ministry.

New additions to these collections will be published over the course of 2021, as we celebrate the House of Mercy's past and contemplate its future.

House of Mercy Bridge Program

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a bridge as “a structure carrying a path across an obstacle.” The House of Mercy Bridge program hopes to satisfy this definition by acting as that structure, assisting people living with HIV in overcoming obstacles creating barriers to stable housing, quality healthcare, and access to benefits and necessary services.

These people, until they become very ill, are often invisible to the system. This “invisible population” usually comes to us in a crisis situation, in need of urgent assistance to mitigate that crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic is currently exacerbating this problem, due to lack of employment or income, and creating increased need for resources for food, transportation, and access to healthcare.

The Bridge Program at House of Mercy provides support for clients to handle these immediate needs. By meeting an essential need and establishing a relationship that can offer other resources in the community, we aspire to empower the invisible population with the means to live their best life.

With the support of funding from the NC Healthcare Foundation and AIDS United, the Bridge program has so far helped several clients with groceries, gas, and utility bills. Here are some stories to show how the Bridge Program has impacted the lives of people living with HIV.

One client was working prior to the COVID pandemic at a restaurant. She got sick and was hospitalized. Once she was discharged from the hospital, her job at the restaurant had been eliminated due to the pandemic. She was living with others trying to determine her next steps when she was given information regarding the Bridge Program. I contacted the client and found she was receiving unemployment and had filed for Medicaid and found a place to rent. She expressed her needs were groceries and gas to go to job interviews. She now has a new job, and the gas and groceries got her through until her first paycheck from her new job.

Another client suffered a loss of employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a single mother, her income was $9 per hour while working Monday through Sunday from 8:00am to 2:30pm. She explained that her employment was the only source of income for her and her son. Additionally, she has become sick, further hindering her ability to seek out new employment. She had been able to meet her basic needs with the help of her neighbors and community resources, and the $200 in groceries from the Bridge Program will give her a bit more breathing room as she continues her search for a new job.

We plan to stay in contact periodically with all Bridge clients to offer support and resources to help meet any long-term goals and provide stability in their day to day lives. Through our Bridge Program, House of Mercy will be the path across urgent obstacles, and continue to provide hope, healing, and a home for people living with HIV in our community.

Mercy Moments – Thanks for Those We Serve

Author: Emily Chambers Sharpe

For the one who came, sick and frail and near what seemed to be the end, who makes us laugh with spunk and a feisty spirit all these years later. Mercy looks like a miracle.

For the one who has recently arrived, who is not ready to share in group activities or meals just yet. Mercy looks like the space to be quiet and rest.

For the one who wishes to be at home with loved ones, and who feels the pain of friends and family who are far away and who may not understand the struggle in your body. Mercy looks like the staff and volunteers who listen when you tell your story.

For the one who heard good news at one specialist’s office and less good news at another, who still smiles most of the time. Mercy looks like the peace in your eyes.

For the one who recently moved back in with family, who healed from the threats. Mercy looks like a fresh start.

For the one who now had no source of income, who realized that the care House of Mercy provides is available for even you. Mercy looks like a gift.

For the one who passed away, surrounded by family and friends. Mercy looks like homecoming.

For the one who is young and reeling from a new diagnosis, who needed this place to heal and to connect with many people who care. Mercy looks like being surrounded by love.

For the one who loves Bible studies and TV preachers, who spent a year working on goals for nutrition and mobility that make daily life a bit easier. Mercy looks like determination.

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Often we share ways that we give mercy. We are the House of Mercy, after all. This Thanksgiving, I am reminded that we receive mercy as well. In our residents, mercy shows up in their miracles, relief, stories, peace, acceptance of charity care, sense of home, discovery of love, and commitment to healing. As the staff met recently and recounted our blessings, I heard over and over again the ways that we receive mercy and respond with thanks.

May your Thanksgiving celebration include the space to reflect on mercy you have received and the gratitude that comes with it.