Vision of Mercy was founded just this past year with a clear purpose in mind: to provide essential needs, hope, and to restore dignity among those who are altered by conflict and disaster to survive without a home in the greater Chattanooga area.
They focus on individuals and families to assist and improve their lives while they are experiencing homelessness. They go about this by helping to provide food that does not require electricity and a basic well-balanced diet for health and growth.
They also strive to provide essential needs and temporary relief such as tents, blankets, raincoats, etc., to provide temporary shelter for those in need, and assisting individuals struggling to pay for their medication assistance with financial relief so the attention can be focused on living a healthier life.
Vision of Mercy Founder Markill Moore spent over 20 years of his life addicted to crack-cocaine and alcohol and experienced homelessness firsthand, living in shelters with the bare minimum of food, clothing, and the basic needs to survive.
He said he turned his life over to Christ in 2011 when he received a vision from God to give back and help the homeless community, so with a group of men from his church, Markill helped assist with the Mercy Ministry and served the city of Chattanooga from 2015 to 2019.
Then Covid-19 hit and everything was put on hold while the lives of the homeless community was affected massively. Markill and his wife founded Vision of Mercy in May of 2021 because the need for the homeless community had grown even greater because of the pandemic.
“I’ve worked side by side with him and currently assist him with shopping, events, recruiting sponsors fund raising and so forth,” explains cofounder Margaret Moore.
“We received assistance and business coaching from Dr. Kelly Johnson with Another Chapter Agency. Another Chapter Agency provided us with the knowledge to start a non-profit while keeping us focus and on track,” Margaret says.
“We have to thank our church home, The Church of the First-Born family, but most of all our pastor, Alfred Johnson, for giving us the spiritual teaching to focus and trust God. Let’s us not forget, all our faithful volunteers, church members, family, friends, and our LMPC church family.”
Naturally, they cannot do everything on their own. They are supported by organizational funding, individual monthly donations, and by spreading the word in person and on social media about their organization to an anyone interested and able to help.
If you would like to help support their vision, you can learn more at their website www.visionmercy.org, as well as following them on Facebook at @visionofmercychatt, on Instsagram at @visionofmercychattanooga, and on Twitter at @markill_moore