Monthly Giving in support of the Department of Special Needs & Community Outreach
Mercy Hospital’s mission, in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy, extends beyond the hospital walls, to serve more than 110,000 people annually in the areas of greatest need in our community through the Department of Special Needs & Community Outreach's many programs including the Afterschool/Homework Clubs and Homemaker Care Program.
Since 1991, the Department of Special Needs and Community Outreach have operated more than 30 programs in Kern Country including Arvin, Shafter, McFarland, Bakersfield, Delano, Lake Isabella, Ridgecrest, Taft, and other outlying communities where there is limited access to health care and related services. Programs target low-income, uninsured, or under-insured individuals, as well as those with unmet health needs, including migrant farm workers and other disenfranchised populations.
When you make a monthly gift you will support...
Afterschool/Homework Clubs
Provide tutoring and educational services at the Dignity Health Learning and Outreach Centers. These clubs address the need for educational programs in low-income and under-served communities in Bakersfield. The Homework and After School Clubs help deter children from participating in delinquent activities, improve their math and reading skills, and at the same time learn personal responsibility, dignity, and respect for oneself and others.
Tutoring services are provided Monday through Friday from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. They are greeted by tutors and staff with a smile and by name. They receive nutritional snacks; help with their homework, mentoring services, and a variety of other educational activities.
- $10 a month will provide school supplies for one child in need of these basic tools to succeed
- $15 a month will proivde one hour of tutoring for 5 to 6 children needing focused school subject attention
Homemaker Care Program
Provides in home services to at risk seniors or disabled adults who otherwise would not have access due to their financial conditions. Although alternate funding resources are explored, many at risk or disabled adults simply have no access to in home care services.
Light housekeeping, shopping, personal care needs and daily medication management are not covered by Medicare and private insurance. Yet, these in home services are vital to allowing them to remain in their homes, near their family, and precious belongings. Annually, the Homemaker Care Program provides more than 19,000 hours to individuals so they can remain in their homes and maintain their independence for as long as possible.