Volunteers are a central part of community life in Mercy Housing properties, helping tutor children, managing weekly food pantries, and assisting with social events, such as holiday parties. Interestingly, some of our most loyal volunteers are young residents who live in the communities that they serve.

Flor

Flor is a high school sophomore who volunteers for the food pantry at Villa Madera, where she is also a resident. On Thursdays after school, she meets Mercy Housing staff in the community center where they sort groceries into boxes for over 40 families who rely on the weekly pantry. Flor also volunteers in the neighborhood, preparing and serving meals through the culinary arts program at her high school. Flor first discovered her love of healthy cooking while attending the after-school program at Villa Madera which frequently included cooking classes.

Samantha

Samantha is a junior in high school and a member of the Visitacion Valley Youth Leadership Group. She volunteers in the community center at Britton Court Apartments, helping with the food pantry and tutoring children in the after-school program.

Sabrina

Sabrina has volunteered for the past two summers at Heritage Homes tutoring young residents and providing digital literacy support for older residents who need help using computers in the community room.

Jessica

When Jessica was in high school, she volunteered at Carter Terrace, helping senior residents with IT questions. Now she works at <dev/mission>, a company in San Francisco that connects women and people of color to tech jobs.