Introducing Micah Mercy
Micah Mercy is the dedicated community ministry of the Micah Project that began in 2027
After twenty-six years of ministry, it became increasingly clear that Micah’s relationships had grown far beyond the boys living in our homes. We knew the families of our boys, mothers and children through our downtown street ministry, young people in programs like Micah Cooks, and children from Villa Linda Miller who had become part of the everyday life of Micah. With those relationships came real needs and people we had grown to care deeply about.
For years, we responded to these needs as they arose, often finding nooks and crannies in our existing budget to make room for them. We were grateful to help, but it was a difficult system to work within when the needs around us were so great.
Micah Mercy was created to give this work a clear home, purpose, and dedicated funding. It allows us to care for vulnerable children and families beyond our residential ministry with the same commitment to helping people find freedom, family, and a future in Christ.
Caring for the People Around Our Boys
Micah Mercy grows directly out of our mission to the boys we serve. We have learned that a child does not grow and heal in isolation. His relationships with parents, siblings, caregivers, church, school, and community continue to shape his life.
When we strengthen those relationships and address serious needs within them, we are often strengthening the environment surrounding the boy himself.
So, what is actually changing in 2027?
For years, we responded to these needs within a budget designed primarily to care for the boys living at Micah. We found room where we could, which meant we were only able to respond to a small fraction of the needs we encountered.
Beginning in 2027, Micah Mercy changes that. For the first time, we will intentionally identify these needs, develop a budget around them, and raise dedicated funding to meet them.
With its own funding, priorities, and reporting, Micah Mercy gives us the opportunity to respond to far more of the needs already present within the relationships God has given us.
What Does Micah Mercy Do?
Micah Mercy meets practical needs among vulnerable children and families connected to Micah. This includes building and repairing homes, providing food and clothing, meeting medical needs, supporting education and vocational training, and providing access to programs and resources already available through the Micah Project.
A Community Effort
We work alongside our boys’ extended families, local churches, local schools, community leaders, and others who know these children and communities well.
We also invite our own Micah young men to be part of this work. As they grow, we want them to have opportunities to serve their families, encourage younger children, and invest in the communities they came from.
Defining Our Scope and Staying True to Our Core Mission
There are more needs around us than Micah Mercy will ever be able to meet, so we have to be clear about where we focus. We begin with the people closest to Micah’s core mission: our boys and the families who remain part of their lives. From there, we look outward to vulnerable children and families we already know, and then to churches, schools, and other community needs connected to those relationships.
The circles are meant to show that relationship guides our reach. Micah Mercy is not intended to become a general relief organization. It is an extension of the Micah Project’s core mission and the words that have guided us from the beginning:
“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8
We want this work to grow from the relationships God has already entrusted to us and remain closely connected to the mission that has guided Micah from the beginning.
A Clear Process for Every Need We Meet
From identifying a need to reporting how funds were used, we want every Micah Mercy project to be thoughtful, accountable, and well documented.
Where this will lead us
These four areas give Micah Mercy a focused place to begin. During 2027, we want to learn how to identify needs well, use resources wisely, stay connected to the people we serve, and report clearly on what was accomplished.
As we learn, we hope Micah Mercy can gradually reach more children and families within the relationships God has already given us. We want to grow carefully, one relationship and one community at a time, while staying closely connected to the mission of the Micah Project.
We remain deeply committed to keeping Micah small. Yet, we see opportunities outside our walls.
We believe the kind of transformation we're called to takes place in a community where every child is deeply known, deeply loved, and surrounded by people who will walk with them for years. We plan to keep the Micah House capped at twenty beds because we believe that size helps protect the relational model at the heart of Micah.
Micah Mercy gives us a way to reach further while remaining committed to the small, deeply relational residential ministry that has always been at the heart of Micah.