Mercy Center for Women (MCW) provides many services for women in the community who are homeless or who need some assistance with their personal development. MCW offers the following services throughout the year:

• Self-Esteem: A program for women who struggle with self-esteem issues. Women are encouraged to take charge of their lives and gain a better understanding of themselves, so they are able to determine their goals and work to achieve them.

• Building Healthy Relationships: A workshop based on the work of internationally recognized psychologists Claudia Black and Terry Gorski. The program explores unhealthy relationships, how women get into them, how they can get out of them and how to avoid the same mistakes.
  
  
  
• Monday Night Programs: Designed to present women with tools to break self-destructive patterns of behavior and learn to live as healthy, whole women. Topics include self-defense, assertiveness training, critical thinking, creative problem solving, anger management and life-skills training.
  
  
• Project Reach: This is a collaborative effort, partially funded through H.U.D, between four community agencies whose goal is to empower homeless women by reaching out to assist them and to challenge them to reach within themselves and realize their potential. These agencies are Gaudenzia, Erie DAWN, Inc., Mercy Center for Women and SafeNet.


• Advocacy: Each woman is paired with an advocate who counsels and directs them in developing and implementing a personal goal plan. Some of these goals include greater self-determination, establishing a source of income, and obtaining permanent housing. The advocates provide supportive listening and identify problems or issues and offer possible solutions. They also provide accurate information, referral and follow-up as necessary.

• Mentor Program: Women are matched with a trained volunteer mentor who helps them develop better coping skills and become more independent.
  
  
• Professional Clothing Program: Provides clean, used professional clothing for women entering the workforce. Women in need can come and pick out a professional outfit for only $3.00 to $5.00.


• Dress for Success ®Erie: In conjunction with the PA Department of Public Welfare, Mercy Center for Women will promote the economic independence of women referred to us from local employment programs by providing professional and job-appropriate attire.  We also offer opportunities for supportive services and career development tools, and assist women to succeed in their work place and in life.  The Dress For Success Erie storefront is conveniently located at 1051 East 28th Street, the corner of East 28th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, and is on an EMTA bus route.  Services are available by referral and appointment only.  Call Mary Graziano, Program Director, at 456-0733 if you are interested in volunteering or donating new or gently used clothing appropriate for the workplace.

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  The mission of Dress for Success Erie’s

  Professional Women’s Group (PWG) is to provide our network of employed Dress for Success women the partnership of support, practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success in career and life. The PWG offers members a comfortable atmosphere in which they can share, grow and network with other women who have recently made the same transition into the workforce.

  Membership is open to Dress for Success Erie clients who have successfully gained employment. Each monthly event consists of 2 elements: an expert speaker leading the discussion and a networking period.

  

• The Going Places Network by Walmart will help unemployed and under-employed Dress for Success Erie clients gain professional skills, accelerate their job search and build confidence through weekly training sessions, one-on-one career coaching and networking in a supportive environment. With the addition of the Going Places Network by Walmart to the Dress for Success Erie portfolio of programs, disadvantaged women will have access to support and services for every phase of their professional lives, starting with the job search and leading to sustained employment and self-sufficiency.