The Mercy Fund
The Mercy Fund was established in 2016 within the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana as a conduit to provide funding for projects that embody spiritual and corporal works of mercy like providing care for the poor and marginalized, bringing hope to the hopeless, and protecting those too young or too old to advocate for themselves.
The Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana continues to help those in need by funding Catholic ministry programs that serve Lake, Porter, LaPorte, and Starke counties through Mercy Fund grants.
Applications for the 2025 Grant Cycle run April 1, 2025 through August 1, 2025. The Mercy Fund is designed to support acts of mercy long beyond our lifetimes. Our goal is to see this fund grow to $500,000 so that it can give impactful grant awards of up to $25,000, year after year. Grant winners are listed below.
The mission of the Mercy Fund endowment is to distribute funds to eligible agencies that serve the poor and vulnerable in Northwest Indiana. Thousands of people have been touched by projects and ministries that received support from the Mercy Fund.
Judy Holicky, development coordinator for the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana, encourages agencies to apply for the grant. “We are looking for projects that embrace the spiritual and corporal works of mercy,” explained Holicky. “These could be new projects that meet a need in the community, or an existing program that an agency is ready to take to a new level.
Anytime is a good time to donate to the Mercy Fund. We continue the mission of Jesus when we reach out one hand to receive God’s many blessings and reach out the other hand to help those in need.”
Donate to the Mercy Fund today!
*Please note that PayPal charges a fee to process online donations.
2024 Mercy Grant Winners
St. Mary Crown Point, God’s Groceries:
“All those that come to God’s Groceries are our welcomed brothers and sisters in Christ and will, therefore, be served with great dignity, care, respect, and compassion reflecting God’s love in our communities. They have recently increased the variety of healthier foods and are now able to give “breakfast bags,” and back to school backpacks and school supplies, serving over 4500 people in 2023.
St Mary’s of the Lake:
The community envisions everyone having access to sufficient nutritious food in a positive, respectful environment and their goal is to help reduce food insecurity. In 2024 the St. Mary’s Community Garden has harvested and distributed over 2 tons of greens and vegetables to add healthier food to their offerings. As they celebrate their 9th anniversary, the pantry has served 5,954 individuals this year.
Sojourner Truth House
Sojourner Truth House, Inc. (STH), a ministry of The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, provides hope and help for homeless and at-risk women and their children. Through hospitality, advocacy, integrative services and collaboration, participants improve their quality of life and that of the community in a safe, trusting environment. Participants also benefit from educational and employment opportunities. Approximately 2,500 people are served every month.
Queen of All Saints, Preserving Dignity
Annually the Peace and Social Justice Commission at Queen of All Saints Church in Michigan City, IN, serves 250 people through their four Christmas Giving trees, school uniform shirt drive and school supply drive. In spite of hurdles that were faced, through perseverance and hard work, now with assistance from the Mercy Grant, the “Preserving Dignity” project was successful in providing uniform shirts for children at Queen of All Saints.
Queen of All Saints – Student Service Project
“Radiate Truth” is a program to train our youth to minister to the spiritual well-being of those they encounter in school, at sporting events, and in our local community. In teaching them to become missionaries of the Spiritual Works of Mercy we embolden them to reach out to the spiritually hungry, especially youth, and in doing so, they grow in their own relationship with Jesus.
St. Michael Good Samaritan Ministry
The St. Michael Good Samaritan ministry provides help to those in need of food or finances. One client, a woman with several children, had been coming for food weekly and often needed help with rent. She had been in several apartments but could never maintain a place for long. The Good Samaritans helped her to secure permanent housing that was affordable and safe. She is now in a stable situation.
St Thomas More Mental Health, Munster
We hope to increase the parish’s awareness of mental health, provide community resources such as senior care services, mental health services, crisis services, family support services, and provide all in the parish with practical tools to be support to anyone struggling emotionally.
St Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mercy for the Most Needy
With a mission to provide food and pantry items to those in our parish and community that are food insecure, the Sacred Heart Pantry at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is pleased to keep their shelves stocked as the number of families needing assistance grow. In addition to providing nutritious foods, home cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items, all are treated with warmth, kindness and dignity. More than 12,000 are served annually.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Respect Life
This ministry is to help others become more compassionate for each other and more respectful of life itself in the womb until natural death. We serve over 500 parishioners, offering support in the form of pamphlets, booklets, and other forms of information. By outreach, we accompany them with prayer and spiritual guidance with decisions in their life.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Prison Ministry
The SEAS Prison ministry brings incarcerated men – during their time in prison and carried into their release – back to Christ in hope of assisting them through their transition to the outside world and throughout the rest of their lives. Ministers visit them often sharing the Word and praying with them. The Mercy Grant funds help to clothe them upon their release and provide them with hygiene products to improve self-respect and confidence. The ministry maintains contact with them as they begin their life back into society.
St. Clare’s Kitchen
St. Clare’s Kitchen provides food, fellowship and a welcoming environment to all. It is a collaborative effort between Our Lady of Lourdes Secular Franciscan Fraternity, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church and the community. Our vision is to foster a sense of belonging and compassion, offering not just meals, but meaningful connections that strengthen the community through the love of Christ.
Society of St. Vincent DePaul, Winfield
The Society of St Vincent DePaul Holy Spirit Conference Winfield is a nonprofit charity organization of volunteers whose members share their time, talent, and treasure to assist all people in need of food and financial assistance for utilities, housing, etc. Vincentians across the country strive to embrace the world in a network of charity and to build a more just world. Winfield is one of 22 SVdP conferences in Northwest Indiana.
2023 Mercy Grant Winners:
Nativity of our Savior Food Pantry – Portage
Volunteers serve over 600 individuals every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. With help from the Mercy Grant, they will be able to reach more individuals, serve more families, and offer hope in these trying times.
Sacred Heart Food Panty of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish – Michigan City
Food insecurity is an epidemic in Michigan City. The Sacred Heart pantry serves the poor, needy, and working poor Friday evenings (4:30 – 6:30). In the first six months of 2023, January-June over 4,000 individuals have been served.
St. Agnes Adult Day Service Center, Caregiver Support Group – St. Paul Parish – Valparaiso
In addition to their care of the elderly, St. Agnes serves many families struggling through the stages of dementia with loved ones, the Caregiver Support Group has seen continued growth with 30 participants and meets monthly.
St. Mary of the Lake Outreach to the Poor Food Pantry – Gary
Serving 120-130 households, around 400 individuals in Lake and Porter County, St. Mary’s provides food, information, and other resources for those in the surrounding community. Starting in November 2015, the food pantry ministry has been growing steadily.
St Matthias Parish Mental Health Ministry – Crown Point
Serving those with mental health struggles in a parish setting will allow parishioners to feel their needs are acknowledged. The program aims to spread awareness and provide a safe setting to share stories. and provide relevant speakers and information.
St Matthias Parish Pick 7 Food Pantry – Crown Point
The Pick 7 ministry serves the whole person with a warm atmosphere, sharing a meal, camaraderie, and shopping. At each event over 300 individuals are served. When available, the parish nurse provides blood pressure checks and wellness information.
SS. Monica and Luke Soup Kitchen – Gary
For 30 years SS. Monica and Luke Soup Kitchen has served the homeless, marginalized, impoverished in Gary, approximately 200 individuals every Friday. In a food desert many are served a nutritious balanced meal on a weekly basis.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, District Council of Gary, Inc. Feed the Hungry Food Pantries at St. Ann Church – Gary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, and St. Casimir Church – Hammond
Three SVDP food pantries in Hammond and Gary serve the communities all year long. They provide food to 200 families in need. Grant money will be disbursed evenly between the communities to purchase food items and grocery gift cards.
The mission of the Mercy Fund endowment is to distribute funds to eligible agencies that serve the poor and vulnerable in Northwest Indiana. This year’s winners reflect the increased need to feed the hungry and to care for the spiritual and mental health needs in our community.
Thousands of people have been touched by projects and ministries that received support from the Mercy Fund. You can support the Mercy Fund; for more information contact Judy Holicky 219-769-9292 x 268, pay online at https://www.catholicfuture.org/donate/ or send your payment to the Catholic Foundation, 9292 Broadway, Merrillville, IN 46410.
2022 Mercy Grant Winners
Walking with Moms in Need is a national effort sponsored by the U.S. Catholic Bishops through which Catholic parishes and communities “walk in the shoes” of local pregnant and parenting women in need. It’s about 1) Assistance, helping to connect moms in need with information and resources to help them meet the many needs that they have in this time of their lives. They also provide 2) Accompaniment, “walking with her” and her family during this most critical part of her life.
Joining Hands with Phil’s Friends is a mission of the children at St. John the Evangelist School (SJE) who got involved with Phil’s Friends Cancer Center in Crown Point through a fellow SJE student Blake Boswell, who is battling B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia lymphoma. This ministry touches the hearts of all the students, parents, teachers, and parishioners at St. John, connecting with many families who are served by the Cancer Center with care packages, Cards of Hope, telephone calls and other forms of volunteering.
Centers of Hope is a ministry of the Franciscan Health Emergency Rooms across Northwest Indiana that specifically serves those who are survivors of sexual abuse. The hospitals provide Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) nurses so that survivors are treated with compassionate care and dignity. Survivors arrive at the Emergency Room in physical and emotional trauma and nothing but the clothes on their backs, which are often taken as evidence. This ministry provides them with personal items, new clothing, undergarments, and other necessities.
Labors of Love Ministry at St. Michael’s is all about comforting those in need. Hand-crocheted and knitted items: blankets, scarves, loveys, and rosaries are made with love and provide emotional support to victims of trafficking, residents of nursing homes, shelters for the Homeless, the Women’s Care Center and other ministries where help is greatly needed within our Gary diocese. These anonymous angels provide their time and talents, also donating materials. This grant will help them to provide more materials so they can continue to serve as needs grow.
2021 Mercy Grant Winners
Miscarriage, Mothers & Others
Their work recognizes the life of the unborn child and the validation of the parent’s, sibling’s, and grandparent’s grief when a miscarriage happens in the family. Their activities include educational information and outreach to families who have lost a child through miscarriage.
Saint Elizabeth Seton Prison Ministry
The ministry puts together bags with clothes and toiletries for prisoners who are reentering society. Volunteers purchase and collect clothes and shoes from various churches in the diocese and assist with rent for newly released offenders.
Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center
This Center provides missionaries to lead Catholic college students into a growing relationship with Christ. FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) ministers help students put their relationship with Christ into action through mission and service.
Sojourner Truth House
They are a ministry of hope and help for homeless and at-risk women and their children sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Through hospitality, advocacy, integrative services and collaboration, participants improve their quality of life and that of the community in a safe, trusting environment assisting participants to improve their quality of life and become contributing members of their communities.
A short video presentation outlined the history of the Foundation and introduced this year’s 2021 Mercy Grant winners.
2020 Mercy Fund Grant Recipients:
Good Samaritans, St. Michael Church – Schererville
St. Joseph Food Kitchen – Hammond
Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Special Works Fund
St. Stanislaus Community Food Pantry – East Chicago
Sacred Heart Food Pantry – LaPorte
Pick 7 Food Distribution, St. Matthias Church – Crown Point
St. Mary of the Lake Food Pantry – Gary
Boxes of Mercy/Food for the Hungry, Queen of All Saints – Michigan City
We are living in an unprecedented time. Together, with Christ by our side, we will not only survive but we will thrive.
Mercy is strong. Mercy rises to all challenges. Mercy shall prevail.
For more information contact the Foundation at jholicky@catholicfuture.org.
2019 Mercy Fund Grant Recipients:
Rebuilding Hope Mission Team
St. Michael the Archangel Church in Schererville acquires and installs AMRAMP metal wheelchair ramps on person-in-need residences with referral from reliable sources such as churches, hospitals, Catholic Charities, etc.
Nourish for Caregiver Ministry – Senior Respite Program
La Porte Catholic Peace and Justice Commission will provide respite to caregivers who need a break by employing certified, licensed caregivers from local hospice or caregiver organizations to sit with family members for several hours once each month.
Community Garden Expansion
Sojourner Truth House day center ministry in Gary is sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and serves homeless and at-risk women and their children from four local homeless shelters. The community garden provides a calm, peaceful environment for prayer and meditation.
Building Bridges
Andrean High School students are engaging in forming high school student leaders, who in return, can provide support in the Catholic grade schools as student leaders for retreats and service programs. This will strengthen faith life for both the Andrean students and the children in Catholic grade schools.
Dignity of Life for Mission
PHYRE, the Youth Ministry Program for the Whiting Robertsdale Community, manages, stocks, and maintains a pantry of nutritious foods and personal hygiene items for the men and women who are most in need and who either live in or participate in the meals at the Hammond City Rescue Mission.
Independent Living Education
St. Joseph Carmelite Home in East Chicago provides a program for residents who have been abused and neglected. Through education, training, and experiential settings, the program will help lower truancy, substance abuse and crime allowing the children to expand their exposure to healthy cultural experiences.
Blessing Box
Holy Trinity Croatian Church Outreach Team in East Chicago provides a Blessing Box with food, hygiene, and household products for anyone who may be struggling. The phrase “Take what you need, give what you can” on the Blessing Box allows the community to donate or take needed items.
Boxes of Mercy
Queen of All Saints Catholic Parish in Michigan City engages parishioners in a year-round effort providing food, gifts, and fellowship with individuals in need. Connecting with unchurched people and offer a support system and caring relationship, using a faith-based approach is integral to the program.