Mercy Tree

2024 Beneficiary: Maucater Health Project, Timor-Leste

The 2024 Mercy Tree Gift Fund Beneficiary was the Maucater Health Project, Timor-Leste. Maucatar is a remote mountainous area where there is severe malnutrition and high mortality rates. There is limited access to clean water, sanitation, and health services. Mercy Works has partnered with the Hospitaller Sisters of Mercy to support their work with communities in the region. This project helped 22 villages improve access to quality health services via community outreach and increased health knowledge to reduce preventable diseases and improve hygiene practices.

2023 Beneficiary: Baabayn Mums and Bubs Group

The 2023 Mercy Tree Gift Fund Beneficiary was the Baabayn Mums and Bubs Group. Mercy Works partners with Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation to support the weekly Mums and Bubs Group. This program is designed to enhance the parenting and broader life skills of young Indigenous mums and promote young families' resilience. This program also supported the education of the Early Childhood Administrator, Janaya Hickey, in Business Administration.

2022 Beneficiary: Cumberland Women's Health Centre

The 2022 Mercy Tree Gift Fund Beneficiary was the Cumberland Women's Health Centre (CWHC). Cumberland Women's Health Centre is a non-profit community-based organisation that provides women's health services and domestic violence specialist response services to women.

2020/2021 Beneficiary: The Sanctuary - Castle Hill Women's Community Shelter & The Haven - Penrith Women's Community Shelter

The 2020/2021 Mercy Tree Beneficiary is The Sanctuary - Castle Hill Women’s Community Shelter and The Haven - Penrith Women’s Community Shelter. Both shelters provide safe, temporary, supported accommodation for women and their children who are escaping homelessness and/or domestic violence.

2018-2020 Beneficiary: Parramatta Women's Community Shelter

The 2018-2020 Mercy Tree Gift Fund Appeal beneficiary was Women's Community Shelters (WCS). WCS works with local communities to provide safer havens for women (and their children). WCS offers vulnerable women at risk of homelessness or domestic violence shelter, active case management, support, dignity, self-esteem and a chance to start anew, through the establishment, operation and/or supervision and support of Women’s Community Shelters and transitional housing.

2017/2018 Beneficiary: The House of Welcome

In 2017/2018, Mercy Tree Fundraising went to the House of Welcome, which welcomes, shelters and empowers people seeking asylum and refugees. The House of Welcome was founded in 2001 and provides holistic support to refugees and asylum seekers who are living in the community with minimal support options including housing, community living and family support, a drop-in centre (including a weekly Foodbank), skills development courses, and community connections such as a catering social enterprise and school holiday programs.

2016/2017 Beneficiary: Mercy Access

In 2016/2017, the OLMC community was invited to help make works of Mercy possible by supporting a new Mercy Works Project through the Mercy Tree. Mercy Access is a new project of Mercy Works which aims to enable Indigenous primary school students living in rural Australia reach their potential. It will launch at the end of 2016 in the Sandhurst Diocese in Victoria and will see trained volunteers (mostly retired teachers) enter Catholic School classrooms to work with specifically selected students three hours per week for the entire school year. This new project is based on the model used by the Mercy Connect program which sees students of a refugee and asylum seeker background receive mentoring support by trained volunteers to help improve literacy and numeracy skills. The model has been adapted to the needs of Indigenous students.

2015/2016 Beneficiary: Jesuit Social Services

The 2015/2016 Mercy Tree cause, nominated by Mercy Girls, was Jesuit Social Services, a social change organisation with a vision of building a just society by working with those most in need to make a real, sustainable difference. The organisation was chosen by Year 10 Mercy Girls Andrea Fok, Olivia Murillo and Jasmine Bautista. Through a range of programs, Jesuit Social Services helps people through difficult periods of their life and focuses on engaging them to reach their potential.

Past Beneficiaries

In the past, other programs have been beneficiaries of Mercy Tree fundraising including the Jesuit Refugee Service's Arrupe Place in Parramatta Strong Young Mums, Mamre House Programs and St Michael’s Family Centre. Strong Young Mums was a program of Catholic Mission aimed at helping young Aboriginal mums develop skills to lead strong, independent lives. A donation of $3,500 was made to the Mamre Magic Program which aimed to bring some magic to people with disabilities through the Mamre Magic activity days. $5,000 has was also donated to Mamre House to purchase two tanks for rainwater harvesting to assist in farming operations. St Michael’s Family Centre at Baulkham Hills received a donation of $3,500 toward their Supported Accommodation Program which was a short to medium term accommodation service for women and children who are homeless and/or at risk, most often due to domestic and family violence. $7000 was donated to Arrupe Place to help provide a range of services to refugees and asylum seekers living in Western Sydney, including food vouchers, computer use, casework services, general information and referrals, financial assistance and social support activities. Financial Statements for the Mercy Tree Gift Fund are available for public review at the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) website.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,
Sister Catherine Ryan rsm
Former Congregation Leader and Patron of the Mercy Tree Gift Fund

Ms Lucie Farrugia
Principal, Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta