Mercy Street exists to be used by God to spark Christ-honoring community restoration with the future leaders of West Dallas and beyond.

Believing transformation best occurs in the context of relationships, we value people over programs. We intentionally engage in mutually-transforming relationships with the residents of West Dallas and beyond, working with them to bring hope and healing to our communities.

Why West Dallas?

• 34% of the population is living below the poverty line.
• 9.6% of the population is unemployed, almost double the state’s unemployment rate.
• 51.6% of the population has a high school diploma, compared to 81.6% of the state’s population.
• 25.2% of 18-24 year olds are enrolled in college or graduate school.
• 951 violent and non-violent crimes occurred in 2014.

Data from the SMU Core & Budd Center’s 2016 Community Indicators Report.

We believe true and lasting change will be brought about by the residents, particularly the children, of this community. Mercy Street’s hope is to raise a new generation of leaders from the community to be the change agents of tomorrow. Sometimes an infusion of hope and help from the outside is all that is needed to make a monumental difference. Our mentors, coaches, and volunteers serve to encourage, befriend, and mentor the children over the course of many years.

Mercy Street also seeks to be “incarnational” in our ministry efforts, meaning we relocate to the place where we minister in order to put flesh on the redemptive message of the gospel. Whether a physical relocation (like most of our staff) or a mental relocation (like most of our mentors), we invite everyone to take on the cares and concerns of the community as their own. We believe this is part of loving our neighbors as ourselves.

What We've Achieved:

• 1,400+ mentees paired with mentors
• 8 schools currently supported by Mercy Street
• 7 college interns and 50 high school interns running 4 microbusinesses through the 2018 Summer Leadership Intensive
• 1,100+ players and 156 coaches participating in baseball, softball, soccer, and football