MercyFirst celebrated Mercy Day, the feast of Our Lady of Mercy and the founding of the Sisters of Mercy, on Friday, Sept. 26.

Sisters of Mercy thanked the staff for being the heart, the hands, the feet and arms that makes mercy visible through all MercyFirst programs.

MercyFirst is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, Mid-Atlantic Community, and has been helping children and families for over 100 years.

The annual Catherine McAuley Leadership Awards were given to four staffers for going above and beyond in displaying MercyFirst’s core values of hospitality, compassion, respect, integrity, justice and excellence.

This year’s recipients were Mike Bracken and Jackie Smallwood from Angel Guardian Brooklyn Campus and Denise Epps and Ed Calderon from the Syosset, L.I., Campus.

Through their efforts, and the efforts of other staff members, MercyFirst made great strides last year: 894 children remained with their families because of preventive service programs; 766 foster children were cared for in foster families; 190 foster children were reunited with their families; 41 children found permanent homes; 24 teen moms learned to be better parents; 262 youth received care in residential programs; and 30 men and women attended college or vocational school on MercyFirst Scholarships.

MercyFirst carries on the mission of Mercy Sisters’ foundress Catherine McAuley to bring mercy to the sick, poor and uneducated.