About Us

Our Vision

We  strive to alleviate generational poverty in the Greater Asbury Park area.

Our Mission

Guided by the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Center provides services, programs, and education in a culturally sensitive manner to:

Empower People

Empower people in the greater Asbury Park area to reach their full potential by providing immediate and comprehensive services and programs to help stabilize their lives.

Enrich
Lives

Enrich the lives of those we serve by offering opportunities to develop skills to maintain emotional, economic and physical well-being.

Educate Children

Educate children so that we can break the generational poverty one child, one family at a time.

Our Values

We are a community committed to living the core values of respect, justice, integrity, service, and compassion.

Leadership

Board of Trustees

Laurence M. Downes, Chair
Retired CEO & Chairman,
New Jersey
Resources & New Jersey
Natural Gas
Elaine Rocha, Vice Chair
Senior Insurance and Financial Services Executive
Miriam Tort, Treasurer
Monmouth County
Nonprofit Founder
Rosemary Jeffries, RSM, Secretary
Former President,
Georgian Court University
Cecil Bright
Managing Director
at Intrafi
Br. Frank Byrne
Auxiliary Provincial, Brothers of the Christian Schools’ District of Eastern North America (DENA)
Former President, Christian Brothers Academy
Dr. Jennifer J. Edmonds
PhD Dean
and Professor at School of Business,
Georgian Court University
Susan Heidelberger
Partner
Real Edge Advisors
Rochelle Hendricks
Former NJ Secretary of Higher Education
Kevin Higgins
Senior Project Manager/Business Development
K. Shaw Construction
Dana Lawrence,
‘04 Graduate
Quality Control Chemist, Accupac
Linda Leasor
Former Special Education Teacher
Evelyn Quinn
Associate Professor,
School of Arts & Sciences, Georgian Court University
Lu-Ann Russell
Senior Director, Special Events
Monmouth University
Carol Stillwell
President & CEO
Stillwell-Hansen, Inc.
Kim Guadagno
President & CEO
Former Lt. Governor of NJ

Financials

Final Annual
Report

Business financial report on table. Financial development, Banking Account, Statistics

Audit of Financial Statements

paperwork, business concept

Employment Opportunities

 The following website advertisement will be posted from

01/31/2025 – 02/21/2025

 Sr. Victim Advocate needed w/Master’s degree or Foreign Equivalent in Social Work or Sociology or Psychology and one (1) year experience as Sr. Victim Advocate or Victim Advocate performing following job duties:  

Provide services to Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence victims, secondary victims, witnesses, and their families to cope with the financial and emotional problems encountered as a result of becoming a victim or witness.  Interview crime victims and witnesses to provide information, advice and assistance. Review cases with clients and notify them of their rights and their case status.  Work on the issues associated with court appearances (i.e child care & transportation). Accompany clients to the prosecutor’s office and courts to provide support and statements.  Respond to questions and concerns regarding criminal justice system procedures, rules and regulations.  Provide referrals for counseling, social services and support groups. Prepare and deliver victim impact statements at sentencing. Work with victims with Victims Crimes Compensation Office (VCCO) Applications.  Prepare narrative reports and maintain statistics. Work directly with the Investigative Division and local law enforcement at the onset of a criminal matter to provide early intervention whenever possible.  Utilize VS tracking to record confidential client data and services used by the office, agency and related units. Participate in public speaking engagements/presentations to educate law enforcement, non-profit agencies and the public about the existence of the program.

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, PTO and 50% 401K match.

Job Location:               

Asbury Park, NJ    

Mail Resumes to:

Mercy Center Corp.

1106 Main Street, Asbury Park, NJ 07712

 

No Job openings at this moment

Director of Development
Organization: Mercy Center
Location: Asbury Park, NJ

Organization Overview

Mercy Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to providing essential services and support, fueled by a deep, organizational commitment to ending generational poverty in the Asbury Park and beyond. We currently serve 24 municipalities in 6 counties.

Position Summary

Our Director of Development is the leader of our philanthropic efforts, responsible for designing, implementing, and executing a comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising strategy. This role demands an ambitious self-starter and highly productive independent worker who can set high revenue goals and drive execution while collaborating closely with the CFO, the President & CEO and the Board.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Fundraising Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive annual fundraising plan, including major gifts, corporate partnerships, and annual giving appeals, to meet the organization’s revenue goals.
  • Donor Cultivation: Act as the lead solicitor, identifying, cultivating, and securing major gift commitments that align with our mission to end generational poverty. Grant writing is not necessarily part of the job.
  • Campaign Management: Direct all annual appeal cycles and manage all special events, ensuring fundraising goals are met and the overall donor base is expanded. Presently, we have 5 appeals and 3 major fundraisers per year that the Director will plan and execute. 
  • Data & Systems: Oversee all donor data management and analysis. Familiarity with Razor’s Edge or other similar fundraising database is preferred to ensure clean data, effective segmentation, and strategic decision-making. 
  • Leadership & Collaboration: Manage the development staff and collaborate with the entire agency including staff, volunteers and the community to amplify the organization’s impact.


Qualifications 

  • Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years of proven success in nonprofit fundraising, specifically in major gifts and annual campaigns. Demonstrated ability to thrive as a dedicated self-starter, reliable multitasker, and independent worker.
  • A profound commitment to the mission of Mercy Center and ending generational poverty. 
  • Strong preference for candidates with direct, hands-on familiarity with Razor’s Edge fundraising database.
  • Exceptional written and verbal and social media communication skills, with a focus on writing compelling donor communications.


This is a full-time in person position offering a competitive salary and benefits package from $90,000 to $110,000. Nights and weekend hours will be required.

Our History

1831

The Foundation

Mercy Center is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. In 1831, Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. Now, as then, the primary mission of the order remains “to relieve misery and address its causes” as per the Constitution of the Sisters of Mercy of America.

For more than 170 years, the Sisters of Mercy have served the poor and disadvantaged. The problems of 18th century Dublin – homelessness, hunger, healthcare, education – are not much different from the problems facing 21st century Asbury Park.

1986

Then

In 1986, the Sisters of Mercy purchased and renovated 1106 Main Street and incorporated under the title of Mercy Center. In 1991, Mercy Center purchased the adjacent property and after complete renovation, the building opened and was a welcoming space providing multi-lingual services to serve the entire family. In 2003, Mercy Center opened a third building that contained a pantry on the first floor and additional conference/meeting space on the second floor.

Finally, Sisters Academy of NJ, a middle school, was opened on the west side to provide young women an education of excellence that would put an end to the generational cycle of poverty.

truck food distribution
Mercey-center-ribbon-cutt

2024

Now

Each day we witness lives being changed with kindness, compassion, and understanding from our staff and volunteers. We are committed to helping children, families, and individuals overcome their burdens and obstacles within an environment marked by dignity and justice.

With your help, we can do more to impact the community.

Cheryl Berman Testimonial