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.
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 the to guarantee these young women an education of excellence that would put an end to the generational cycle of poverty.
2022
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.
