The Herald - Spring 2022

4
For years, Bob Carmody, the Chairman
of the Board here at Mercy Home, has
had a special place in his heart for our
family. Like many of you, Bob loves
Mercy Home kids as if they were his
own. He recently made an exciting
decision—to offer a special incentive to inspire others to join him in
our Archangel Society by including Mercy Home in their estate plans.
Bob Carmody (right) and Adrian
(left), a former Mercy Home youth
Bob generously employed, are
pictured here welcoming Father Scott
to the company’s headquarters.
Louise Borosak
Philanthropic Advisor
Mercy Home’s Philanthropy
team can help you to change a
child’s life while continuing to
care for the needs of yourself
and your family. Their areas of
expertise include:
• Working with families to
identify and achieve financial
and giving goals.
SPRING 2022
You’ve already read about the Legacy Challenge on page 2 of
this newsletter. Bob is one of the generous donors who made this
initiative possible by offering up his own dollars as matching funds.
That means if you name Mercy Home in your final plans this year,
he and a group of dedicated friends will match up to 10% of your
future gift with a donation to the Home in your honor today.
“Naming Mercy Home in my trust didn’t cost me anything,” Bob
says of his decision to become an Archangel many years ago. “It felt
good knowing that doing so will take care of children in need long
after I’m gone. Now, these kids are part of my legacy.”
While Bob describes his commitment to Mercy Home as his true
passion, his position as the owner and founder of Diana’s Bananas
has been his life’s work. Founded in 1984, his family business began
quite by accident at the Taste of Chicago street fair. There, assisting
his father-in-law’s candy company, Bob witnessed a serendipitous
moment: an employee making the most of his accidentally frozen
lunch by dipping a banana in the company’s high-grade chocolate.
The creation was a surprise hit, and Bob rushed out to buy a cartful
of bananas. By the time the fair was through days later, they had
sold more than 25,000 frozen, chocolate-dipped bananas—and the
next chapter of Bob’s life began.
Nearly 40 years later, Diana’s Bananas are carried in grocery stores
and retailers around the world. The business has hundreds of
employees in the United States and Ecuador (where the bananas are
sourced), and produces over 3 million frozen bananas each month!
A number of Mercy Home youth have gone to work for Bob
over the years, including Adrian (pictured with Fr. Scott and Bob
Carmody above, at the Diana’s Bananas factory).
Beth Lye
Philanthropic Advisor
Adrienne Walsh
Philanthropic Advisor
Phillip Zielinski
Director of Philanthropy
• Taking a personal and holistic
approach, understanding
that your plan is uniquely
yours.
• Reducing your tax burden
through charitable giving.
• Maximizing your impact on
the people and charities
closest to your heart.
While we are commonly known
as Mercy Home for Boys & Girls,
our legal name is Mission of
Our Lady of Mercy, Inc. and our
Tax ID Number is 36-2171726.
Do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-378-8266
or plannedgift@mercyhome.org with specific
questions, or simply to start a conversation.
What does it mean to inspire
others to goodness? While
caring for so many growing
kids, this question feels
particularly relevant to all of us
at Mercy Home. Like so many
families, ours strives to raise
kind and loving children who
embody the Christian message
of loving others as ourselves.
But when it comes to encouraging our young people
toward compassion and selflessness, our words can
only go so far. At some point, we find our actions do
the speaking for us, which is why it’s such a blessing
to have you on our side.
How thankful I am that our children have kindhearted
folks like you who humbly lead by example.
How incredible that they have so many role models
to show them what it means to be a loving human in
this world.
It’s in this spirit of selflessness and generosity that I
introduce our spring edition of The Herald. In these
pages, you will meet a remarkably generous man,
Letter From Father Scott. ............................. 1
Join the Legacy Challenge and Unlock
FREE Money Today! ................................. 2
“Your Love Changed My Life” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Archangel Society. .................................. 4
Bob Carmody, who—like you—holds a special place
in his heart for our children. Along with a dedicated
group of Mercy Home friends, Bob is helping to
fund Mercy Home’s Legacy Challenge—a special
opportunity to support our kids today and well into
the future, without spending a dime. You can read
more about this exciting initiative by turning the
page. Lastly, we’ll introduce you to a former resident
who used the care you made possible to build a
future full of love and opportunity.
Thank you for every ounce of support you share.
Your friendship is a beacon of hope for our children.
Blessings,
Fr. Scott Donahue
Recently retired from the business, Bob continues to stay busy
leading the Board of Regents here at Mercy Home, and engaging
in a number of other civic organizations. Our Mercy Home family
is tremendously blessed to have found such a loyal Archangel
in Bob. From his early days building up his fledging business, to
his commitment to fund our Legacy Challenge match, Bob has
proven to be as dedicated and open-hearted as he is enterprising.
We are grateful beyond measure for Bob—and each of our
Archangels—who bring miracles to the children in our care.
For more information visit us at
MercyHome.org/PlannedGiving
1140 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60607
1.800.378.8266
This publication is prepared exclusively for the information of our
friends and donors. Its purpose is to point out current tax
developments which may be helpful in your tax and financial
planning. This material is based on recent court decisions and
current laws and regulations. You should, of course, consult your
own legal, tax or financial planner as to the applicability of any
item to your own situation.

Changed
“YOUR LOVE
My Life”
2
3
Since kicking off at the beginning of 2022, the Legacy
Challenge has already inspired friends around the country to
join in. There’s Dolores in California, who says she doesn’t
have much, but whatever is left after she’s gone will go to
the kids at Mercy Home. She is updating her will to make
sure her wishes are known. And Ken in Chicago, who has
named Mercy Home in his revocable living trust. And of
course, there’s Bob, who you can learn more about in the
“Archangel Corner” section of this newsletter (page 4).
You see, last year Bob Carmody joined forces with a handful
of other dedicated friends of Mercy Home to pool their
resources for a new project. The goal was to encourage
as many people as possible to leave the children of Mercy
Home in their final plans—with free money acting as
the incentive!
Join the Legacy Challenge and
Unlock FREE MONEY Today!
Name Mercy Home in your estate plans, and unlock matching funds for
kids in need today—all without spending a dollar in your lifetime
Here’s an example of the difference your commitment could make:
Your Legacy Gift Commitment
to Mercy Home
A bequest of $10,000 in
your will
10% of the residual assets in your
trust (current value = $100,000)
100% of the assets in your IRA
(current value = $350,000)
Cost
to You
Nothing in
your lifetime
Nothing in
your lifetime
Nothing in
your lifetime
Benefit to Children Living
at Mercy Home Today
Thank you for keeping our kids in your heart, and Mercy Home in your will!
We call this new initiative the Legacy Challenge, and it’s a
remarkable opportunity for you to make a difference for our
children today and tomorrow—without spending a dollar in
this lifetime.
If you’d like to join the Legacy Challenge (or if you’ve
already remembered the children in your final plans), simply
notify us of your commitment, and 10% of your gift’s current
value will be “unlocked” and matched for the immediate
benefit of our children today. But please act fast: this
opportunity is only available until December 31 (or until the
“free money” runs out)!
We’re excited to help you build a lasting legacy through
your support of the young people at Mercy Home. To join
the 2022 Legacy Challenge or to learn more, please don’t
hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-378-8266.
Benefit to Children Living
at Mercy Home in the Future
$1,000 $10,000
$10,000 $100,000
$10,000 $350,000
Here’s How the Legacy
Challenge Works:
1) Make a legacy gift.
Name Mercy Home as a beneficiary in
your will or trust, or on a financial account
(such as a checking, savings, retirement, or
brokerage account).
2) Tell us about your commitment.
Call 1-800-378-8266, or email plannedgift@
mercyhome.org to let us know you’d like
to join the Legacy Challenge.
3) Unlock matching funds.
When you confirm your legacy gift, 10% of
the current value of your gift intention (up
to $10,000) will be made available to help
kids in need today.
4) Choose your program.
You can designate these matched funds
to the program area of your choice: Boys
Home, Girls Home, Community Care
Programs, or wherever it’s needed most.
To learn more, please visit our website at
www.MercyHome.org/LegacyChallenge
Or you’re always welcome to reach
out at plannedgift@mercyhome.org
or 1-800-378-8266 to discuss your
individual situation.
To look at Wayne now—
a loving husband, proud
father, Community Care
scholar, and recent graduate
of Morehouse College—
Changed
“YOUR LOVE
My Life”
you’d never guess he once
struggled to stay in school,
or even Mercy Home.
After run-ins with gangs and law enforcement, Wayne found his
way to Mercy Home. But by 14-years-old, well before he was ready,
he made the rash decision to leave our care. But just because he
was gone, didn’t mean he was forgotten. Daniel Nelson, director
of our Community Care program—which offers ongoing support,
encouragement, and resources to former residents—always kept
tabs on Wayne.
“Honestly, I shouldn’t have left Mercy Home. It was an impulsive
decision and it led me to make choices that still affect me today,”
Wayne remembers. “But even after I left, Daniel would call and stop
by my house… and that’s what eventually led to me coming back to
Mercy Home as a scholar.”
After he walked out on Mercy Home all those years ago, Wayne
fell into a deep depression, losing friends to gang violence and
imprisonment. It was a period of his life he describes as “rock
bottom.” And it wasn’t until he stumbled upon people doing
Brazilian jiu-jitsu in a neighborhood gym that Wayne finally found a
spark of hope again.
“I walked in and knew that’s what I needed to do, because
extracurricular activities always kept me out of trouble,” he said.
He began training furiously, while also interning as a community
organizer. It was during this time that Wayne summoned the
courage to take a chance on himself and enroll in community
college. Since those days, Wayne has gotten married, become a
father, and graduated from a prestigious university. Now, he’s once
again planning for his future.
“A goal of mine is to establish a community program where I’m
teaching martial arts skills, as well as life skills, to inner-city, at-risk
youth,” he said. “In another year or two, I also plan on taking my
LSAT and going to law school.”
Wayne’s clear vision for his future is a reflection of the love and
support of generous donors like you. Thanks to your commitment,
Wayne has the guidance, encouragement, and resources he needs to
keep dreaming and reaching for all the miracles that lie ahead.