father scott donahue – saving one child at a time
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photo by steed media service |
President and CEO, Mercy Home For Boys & Girls
As the president and CEO of Mercy Home For Boys & Girls, Father Scott Donahue has his work cut out for him. The former associate president to Fr. James J. Close, Fr. Donahue came to Mercy in 1990 when he joined the Board of Regents. Today, Donahue manages the residential homes, which house 134 at-risk teens, and provides full-time ministerial services.
A native of Mount Prospect, Ill., Donahue became an ordained minister in 1982. Since assuming his post as the head of the youth home, Donahue says he’s observed a difference in the types of kids who need assistance. “What I’ve noticed at Mercy Home, particularly in our residential component, is that the young people who are coming to us are children who have experienced more abuse [and] more neglect than I’ve seen in the past,” he says.
For 121 years Mercy has fostered Chicago youth, and it’s their ability to bring hope to these children that fuels Donahue’s work. “We have the opportunity to provide these children with all sorts of wonderful support to help them build a life that truly has a beautiful and a positive future,” he says.
For the man lovingly known simply as, “Father Scott,” the kids are his life’s work. “Jesus’ life was about taking care of the underprivileged and those who were marginalized in society,” he says. “In many ways this is the modern-day orphanage, and so it’s out of my love for God and love for these children that I do this ministry.” – gavin philip godfrey
