Mercy Center Annual Report

20 Years of Responding to Needs
A hallmark of Mercy Center’s approach has
always been to respond to the needs of the
community. In 2002, when the number of new
immigrants in our neighborhood began to increase,
we realized the need was strong for
English classes. We found some volunteers
willing and able to provide instruction, and
started with a class of 5. Now 8 years later, the
program has grown into a core component of
our work, and the primary way women and
men are introduced to our services.
Volunteers Make All the Difference
Volunteers have always been at the heart of Mercy Center. In
the 2009-2010 program year, 27 volunteers donated over 3,500
instructional hours to our ESL program. Our volunteers are a
fascinating community of individuals from all walks of life, including
students, retirees, homemakers, and full- and part-time
workers. As varied as they are, they all share a common desire
to help members of this community learn to read, write, and
speak English.
Results:
79% of students who enrolled in September
persisted and completed the course
in June.
A total of 203 students from the 2009-
2010 year completed their level and will
be moving to the next instructional level
in September 2010.
On average, students scored 80% on the
final written exam for their course.
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