Your support provides opportunities for brighter futures
+MPower directly addresses the longstanding workforce opportunity gap by empowering those in our community challenged to enter the workforce due to socioeconomic barriers as well as new Mainers facing credentialing obstacles from their native countries.
The +MPower Fund provides donors with an opportunity to change lives and make a direct and positive impact on those in our community. +MPower is a Mercy philanthropic and mission priority.
The global pandemic exposed the tremendous racial and social disparities which directly and negatively impact career advancement as well as social determinants of health for so many in our community.
As Portland’s community hospital, Mercy’s founding and enduring mission is to care for all with special concern for the underserved and to offer direct support to our most vulnerable neighbors. One of the biggest challenges facing Mercy and other Maine employers is finding skilled workers. Without our trained employees, a hospital is simply bricks and mortar. Because of socioeconomic, language, and other barriers, a large share of new Mainers and historically marginalized populations are in lower-skilled jobs. All are a vital part of our economy and must be part of our workforce development strategy.
As one of southern Maine’s largest employers with decades of experience training the healthcare workers of tomorrow, Mercy seeks to close the opportunity gap by providing new Mainers with access to education and training to advance their careers, meet labor force needs, and earn higher wages to support themselves and their families. Additionally, there is a growing need for workers with bilingual and cultural skills to serve an increasingly diverse public.