SIDNEY — A community sale to be held this Saturday will benefit a local organization committed to helping those in emergency situations get back on their feet.
The Mercy Mission House, located at 950 Children’s Home Road in Sidney, first opened its doors to the community in February of this year and primarily serves as a homeless shelter in Shelby County with the goal of helping homeless people get back on their feet. The capital costs in constructing and opening the shelter was just over $1.3 million and has been completely covered by donations from local organizations and donors.
With the community sale that will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, 20% of the proceeds raised will go toward the shelter’s operating expenses. Items for sale include clothes, toys, shoes, tools, decor, antiquities, plumbing supplies and sporting goods. The sale will be held at 330 E. Court St. in Sidney.
“We’re in our very first year, so we have a lot of overhead costs. Anything we have now is just operating costs, and to assist the residents with their needs,” Mercy Mission House Director Amanda Hilgefort said.
Operating expenses include providing on-site mental health services to clients, covering the cost of documents such as I.D. cards and birth certificates, providing work clothing and other clothing, assisting with housing needs such as utilities and deposits, among many other services. Additionally, the Mercy Mission House has the Alpha Community Center, Holy Angels Soup Kitchen, Bridges Community Action Partnership and a Family Resource Center case manager on site to better streamline services to help the homeless in Shelby County.
In addition to the community sale, the Mercy Mission House accepts both monetary and supply donations directly from the community. Currently, the shelter is in need of laundry supplies such as detergent and fabric softener, lounge wear like sweat pants, office supplies, cleaning supplies, undergarments, and hygiene items.
“When we do intake, we offer a clean set of clothing to each person who comes in, so that all of their items can be washed. We find that a lot of people only have what they’re wearing, so being able to provide a new pair of underwear, socks has been beneficial,” Hilgefort said.
Additionally, the Mercy Mission House is currently compiling a list of volunteers to help the shelter meet the needs of the community, and is looking to have mentors to take on a resident and mentor them through the process at the shelter.
“Taking on that one resident and saying, you’re my person, I’m gonna help you get to the end of this program, one step at a time, is very beneficial. We’re really looking for those mentors that are willing to come in on a regular basis to meet with their person to help them be successful,” Hilgefort said.
For more information on the Mercy Mission House, visit https://www.themercymissionhouse.com/ or contact 937-815-1777.
