Father’s idea opens his children’s eyes, hearts

When Newport Beach resident Monty Griffin took his two children to

visit Mercy House, a Santa Ana-based organization that serves Orange

County’s homeless population, he had a clear message to get across.

“My whole family feels fortunate to live here in this community,”

Griffin said. “I felt it was important to show them that there are

people who don’t live very far from here ... that don’t have the same

privileges.”

Admittedly, he wasn’t sure how his children would react.

“They were very quiet,” Griffin said. “They were taken by what

they saw. It made the impact on them that I was hoping would be

made.”

His daughter, 16-year-old Melyssa, has decided to do her part to

help Mercy House. She is setting up a donation drive, which begins at

10 a.m. today, inside her gated community, Harbor Cove, with the

goal of providing Mercy House with as many new things as possible.

A junior at Corona del Mar High School, Melyssa recently wrote a

letter asking neighbors to donate items such as linens, throw rugs,

toys, school supplies and televisions. The items will be distributed

to families and individuals who use Mercy House.

“She’s helping us run our shelters,” said Larry Haynes, a Costa

Mesa resident and executive director of Mercy House. “She’s

collecting goods we’d ordinarily have to spend money on and helping

make residents’ stays more pleasant.”

Mercy House owns and operates transitional shelters and permanent

low-income housing. They have an emergency walk-in center and

programs designed to help people live independently.

Melyssa said she was planning to call families in her neighborhood

Friday night to remind them of the drive. Most residents are being

asked to leave the goods on their front lawns or driveways so that

Melyssa and her 12-year-old brother, Sandon Griffin, can load them

into a truck, which will be en route to Santa Ana.

Both siblings have volunteering experience, but this it the first

project they are spearheading together.

“I’m hoping for any kind of participation,” Melyssa said. “People

at Mercy House need anything.... This will make a big difference.”

For more information, call (949) 300-7063.