New Mercies is a gospel-centered organization providing supportive connections, safe housing, and restorative services for women and families, empowering them to gain stability and ultimately live independently. Our volunteer-driven model mobilizes the church to serve the physical and spiritual needs of isolated families in our communities through child hosting.
Hostings are guided by our ministry model. Each hosting arrangement starts when a parent experiencing a crisis calls our support line. The following steps take place after this first point of contact:
- A determination is made that New Mercies can best meet a family’s needs.
- A screened and trained Host Family ready to open their home is identified, with a Family Coach assigned to support them.
- A parent signs temporary Hosting, Medical, & Educational Permission paperwork allowing their child or children to be hosted.
- Support Volunteers provide meals, transportation, resources, and prayer as needed while the child or children stay with their Host Family.
- A parent receives guidance from the Family Coach while their child or children are hosted, setting goals like employment, housing, affordable childcare, etc.
- The hosting ends when a parent reunites with their child or children after gaining confidence by reaching their stability goals.
New Mercies seeks to be an alternative to foster care where appropriate. Through child hosting, we aim to prevent abuse or neglect upstream before foster care is required, giving parents time and space to regain stability while keeping their children safe. Additionally, when parents request a hosting, they do not lose custody of their children and can thus be reunited with them much faster. An average hosting at New Mercies lasts 19 days.
Currently, we serve 12 counties*: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Elkhart, Fulton, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, and Whitley.
Questions about where we serve? Email us at info@new-mercies.org or give us a call!
*Hosting availability is dependent on volunteer capacity in some counties.
Are you facing a situation that is making it difficult to care for the needs of your children, or do you know of someone who is? You can request a hosting by calling our support line at (260) 627-9002, or emailing us at info@new-mercies.org. If you would like someone from our support team to give you a call, please click here.
Want to help serve families in our community? There are so many ways to get involved!
As a volunteer-driven organization, we rely on many different volunteer roles for the day-to-day functioning of our ministry. You could become a Host Family, Family Coach, or Support Volunteer. Even if you just have time to make a few meals, drive a child to school, or pray, there's a place for you to volunteer at New Mercies!
We also partner with dozens of churches in northern Indiana. If your church is interested in learning more about a partnership with New Mercies, you can contact us to learn more.
Finally, if you would like to become a corporate sponsor or partner with us financially, you can contact Bonnie Doolittle.
No. New Mercies is a volunteer-driven, staff-supported nonprofit. This means that Host Families, Family Coaches, Support Volunteers, or any other volunteer roles apart from staff positions are not paid.