One young resident, Jackie, recently shared his experience in an essay that won him a grant from one of our longtime supporters, National Real Estate Practice of EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants! This EPIC Educational Support Grant will go toward Jackie’s educational expenses where he attends college at University of California, Santa Cruz. A part of Jackie’s essay is below:

“One of my educational goals was to get into my dream college, the University of California, Santa Cruz. I have always been fascinated with our planet Earth and all of its sciences. I knew UC Santa Cruz would be the perfect school for me because there are many different environmental science programs and opportunities for me to explore.

Some of their programs address relevant issues that we face daily, such as climate change and pollution. I feel fortunate to be able to study environmental science at UC Santa Cruz because I feel passionately about our planet Earth and its environment. I want to be able to educate people on how important climate change really is. I hope I can make people realize that we can reverse the effects of climate change if we work together.

Mercy Housing has aided me in pursuing this goal by providing affordable housing for my family. With only one working family member in our household, our monthly income isn’t the highest. This makes UC tuition challenging to afford. My dad has been sick for almost a decade now, and it has completely hindered his ability to work. Though he has improved slightly over the years and is now able to support in daily household activities, there is still a great deal of financial stress on my mom. This is especially the case in terms of funding my college tuition.

She often works overtime in order to support us financially. Thankfully, Mercy Housing has provided affordable housing and rent to which my mom’s singular job can pay for. This allows her to devote more energy and attention towards caring for my dad as well as saving for my college expenses. Though this may be miniscule, Mercy Housing has really changed our lives. We have been living at Mercy Housing for almost two decades now and we feel extremely blessed and fortunate to have an affordable yet luxurious place to live, especially now more than ever during the pandemic.

It feels nice knowing that you always have a place to come home to. It feels even nicer knowing it’s something my family can afford while allowing me to pursue my college dreams. Thank you, Mercy Housing, for making my goal of attending my dream college to study environmental science attainable!”

Supporting Mercy Housing is more than just donating to build much-needed affordable apartment buildings, it’s helping people all over the country to achieve their dreams and make a difference in the world.