In early 2003, VeAhavta began planning a new facility on the Grace Care Center that would provide care to destitute senior citizens in the tradition exemplified by Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997).

In 1952, Mother Teresa and her "Missionaries of Charity" began the work for which they have been noted ever since. Her order received permission from Calcutta officials to use a portion of the abandoned temple to Kali, the Hindu goddess of transition and destroyer of demons. It was there that Mother Teresa founded the "Kalighat Home for the Dying," which she named "Nirmal Hriday" (meaning "Pure Heart"). She and her fellow nuns gathered dying Indians off the streets of Calcutta and brought them to this home to care for them during the days before they died.

Rev. Dr. S. Jeyanesan, VeAhavta’s overseas agent in Sri Lanka, spent time with Mother Teresa in Calcutta and was deeply moved and inspired by the experience. Hence, a desire to implement a similar ministry in Sri Lanka was planted. In 2002, Rev. Jeyanesan shared his dream with VeAhavta founder Eric Parkinson and the dream of developing Mercy Home was born.

As time went by, the dream took more concrete form and was expanded to include a modern medical facility, dubbed Mercy Clinic, which could provide on-site health care for all of the residents and staff of the Grace Care Center.

In May of 2004, the construction of Mercy Home and Mercy Clinic commenced. The original budget for the construction of the facilities was approximately $140,000. However, due to increases in the cost of construction materials and losses sustained during the tsunami in December 2004, the final cost of construction was approximately $180,000.

In October of 2004, VeAhavta appointed Dr. Cheryl Huckins of Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the Chief Medical Officer for the administrative development of Mercy Home and Mercy Clinic. Dr. Huckins, along with Dr. Gina Amalfitano and a team of other physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers, equipped the facilities, hired and trained staff, and developed the administrative procedures and protocols that govern their operation, spending countless hours in the process.

On May 28, 2005, Mercy Home/Mercy Clinic opened its doors and received the first three of its residents.

Through Mercy Home, VeAhavta is providing free, full-time residential nursing home care for 82 destitute senior citizens -- the abandoned of society -- from all ethnic groups, castes and religions who, if not cared for, would spend the end of their lives mired in loneliness, pain and sorrow.

We Need Your Involvement
Won’t you join us in reaching out to help our neighbors in Sri Lanka? We need your support to staff and maintain the Mercy Home/Mercy Clinic now that it is operational. You can help by making tax-deductible donations to VeAhavta and/or by committing to sponsor one or more needy persons at Mercy Home. If you are a healthcare provider, or even if you aren’t but just want to get involved in a “hands-on” manner, you can further assist us by providing volunteer services at the facility in Sri Lanka.

Thank you for your generous support!