Friends of Mercy

St Joseph Mercy Hospital was established 75 years ago and through the years was supported by firstly the Ladies Auxiliary which later included men and was then just known as the Auxiliary. As the years have gone by it was identified that young recruits needed to be encouraged to join and a name change was agreed in 2019 to the Organization now being known as the Friends of St Joseph Mercy Hospital.

Overview of Mercy Auxiliary
The Mercy Auxiliary was an integral part of the Mercy Hospital in Guyana. The Auxiliary assisted the hospital in providing perfect patient care by raising funds to improve the services on offer. Aligned with the Mercy Foundation, and with the true dedication of their time and talent, the Mercy Auxiliary members truly reflected the philosophy and spirit of the Sisters of Mercy.
Mercy Auxiliary was a dynamic organization with members who came from different walks of life and volunteered their time and talent to achieve a common goal of supporting the hospital through fundraising events.

In 1949 the Mercy Auxiliary began supporting the hospital by raising funds for expansion and improvements. Beginning in May 1949, Mercy Auxiliary organized appeals and used a variety of interesting ways and means to raise the requisite funds. They were the vanguard of the fund-raising committee and helped raise approximately $23 million for the new extension completed in 1994, the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in then British Guiana. As the years progressed it became evident that the Mercy Auxiliary needed to expand and recruit more members to carry on their service of supporting the works of the hospital.

Friends of Mercy
In July 2019, the Mercy Auxiliary evolved into Friends of Mercy to continue the good work of the Auxiliary by raising funds to support the Hospital’s improvement and expansion drive.
The St. Joseph Mercy Hospital is a nonprofit organization that offers superior healthcare for all Guyanese. The Group’s main goal is to support the hospital in any capacity; however, their main focus is to raise funds so that the works of the hospital can continue. There was also a need to assist the Mercy Resident Care Home (MRC) which provides care and accommodation for the elderly. Friends of Mercy now also assist the home by visiting and organizing fun events for the residents.
The Friends of Mercy are now a group of volunteers who render their services by giving their time and talents through fundraising and assisting the MRC home. Current Fundraising events include The Mercy Christmas Fair, the BBQ and Dance, and raffles’. The Group meets as often as necessary to brainstorm and coordinate events. Anyone who is desirous of giving of their time to a worthy cause is welcome to join the Friends of Mercy.

Members of the Friends of Mercy Committee
Mr. Chris Fernandes: Chairman
Ms. Melissa De Santos: Secretary
Mr. Gavin Low: Vice Chairman
Ms. Domonique Van Sluytman: Committee Member
Ms. Risa De Santos: Committee Member
Ms. Lisa Foster: Committee Member
Mr. Jerri Dias: Committee Member
Mr. Justin Thompson: Committee Member
Ms. Oshana Rogers: Committee member
Friends of Mercy are in need of new members. Please contact us where a warm welcome awaits you.