Volunteer Profile: Funds for a home away from home
By Gloria Glyer - The Sacramento Bee - Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007
What: The House of Mercy Campaign.
Purpose: To raise funds to rehabilitate the four-unit apartment across from Mercy General Hospital that provides a home away from home for Mercy patients.
History: For 20 years, the House of Mercy has served hundreds of patients and their families who live outside the Sacramento area or have transportation difficulties. The dwelling can accommodate up to 16 people at a time. The furnishings and fixtures are 20 years old and need to be replaced.
Need to know: A donation of $20 per night is requested, but no one is turned away because of the inability to pay. The average stay is about a week. Guests are responsible for their own food; the apartments have working kitchens. Parking is available on-site. A staff person is available 24 hours a day, and security is available to escort family members across J Street if necessary.
Donations: Go onto the Web site at www.mercyfoundationsacramento.org or call Samantha Shelton-Cooper at (916) 453-4698. Volunteers overseeing the fund drive are Cathleen Dougherty, Dr. Timothy Mickiewicz, Valerie Reynoso and Vivian Buletti.
Featured volunteer: "Life is not a spectator sport," said Cathleen Dougherty, one of the campaign volunteers.
Dougherty, a fifth-generation Sacramentan, likes to stay busy and give back to the community, which is why she is helping with the House of Mercy.
"The house is a wonderful location across from the hospital," said Dougherty. "It's especially convenient for those having eye surgery, which is an outpatient operation. The patient has to return the next morning, and if they are from out of town, they can stay overnight."
"The patients just walk across J Street, but it can be a little toasty in a Sacramento summer," Dougherty said. The housing units need air conditioning, she said.
Her list of volunteer credentials includes St. Francis High School, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. She has served as chairwoman of the Mercy General Foundation and was a founding board member of Cristo Rey High School.
"I like to stay busy and give back," said Dougherty, who has been involved with House of Mercy for two years. "But it is unwavering."
