Mercy Center

Archive for May, 2009

Mother: Pin Pewchansod age: 41

Father: Teir Reabrengdee age: 40

Daughter: “Tao” age: 10

Daughter: Pathomporn Pew Chansod (Jiang) age: 7

Pin and Teir are a couple from Surin. They lived in Bangkok until 5 years ago, when they relocated to Pattaya. They used to be in the military, but were discharged due to poor vision.

Pin is unable to read or write and is painfully shy. She is also colour-blind. Their older daughter lives in Sattahip with an old family friend and attends a local school.

When first observed in the Chumchon, it was clear that Mum needed help to combat a serious eye infection, threatening blindness. MERCY took her to the hospital where the infection was successfully treated, her sight was saved and eye glasses subsequently recommended for both husband and wife. These were supplied by Euro Optics free of charge.

Take Care Director Giorgio with Mom and daughter Jiang.

City Hall employees have offered assistance to clear medical documentation problems.

MERCY is extremely fortunate to have as a partner in this case, TAKE CARE KIDS, who generously supplied B 5,000. to assist with medical fees and gave their time to assist as necessary.

Jiang, having been diagnosed with Downs Syndrome but assessed as potentially educable, was taken for interview by MERCY to Maha Thai, to see if she was eligible for their programme. She was accepted for registration with them and was due to begin morning classes in May. However, before this can happen she is required to have a hearing and vision test. Having had the sight test at Sri Racha Hospital, she is now waiting for an appointment at Chonburi Hospital, where the hearing test will be done.

Well done Lhen, MERCY Chumchon’s great hearted leader.

Job Advertising … – 3 Positions

MERCY Center is a registered non-profit organization that operates a number of charitable projects which provide emergency and ongoing care / support for extremely poor and destitute people in Thailand.  Our projects also include operating a licensed home for street and slum ‘children at risk’, in  Pattaya City, Chonburi, Thailand. 

We are currently recruiting three posts to develop our community projects and administration:

1. A Scholarship Student Liaison Officer (part time)
2. A Community Worker (part time)
3. An Administrator (full time)

The part time posts can both be applied for and combined to full time hours.

Scholarship Student Liaison Officer

This is an opportunity for a dedicated individual to provide outreach, coordination and administrative support to the MERCY Scholarship Program. The Scholarship program provides assistance to approx 100 students from poor and needy backgrounds to enable them to attend school and receive an education.

The successful candidate must enjoy working with children of school age, be competent in spoken and written Thai and English, be able to write reports, be organized and be sympathetic to and willing to operate under a Christian philosophy. Much of this post will involve visiting students and their families, some of which will be in the evenings and every Saturday.

Community Worker

The Community Worker role will primarily consist of providing community follow up services to all areas of VFC MERCY Ministries which currently include slums, prisons, and an emergency childcare center. Typical duties will include problem solving, job placement, signposting/ referring to other agencies, making medical and legal appointments and accompanying when required.

The successful candidate must be passionate about helping people in need, have great interpersonal and problem solving skills, be competent in spoken and written Thai and English, be able to write reports, be organized and be sympathetic to and willing to operate under a Christian philosophy.

Administrator

This role will lead the administration of both the MERCY Center and its ministries and Victory Family Church. The Administrator is a vital position for organizing, coordinating and supporting the varied work of these organizations.

The successful candidate must be very organized, be highly competent in spoken and written Thai and English, have good computer and administration skills and be sympathetic to and willing to operate under a Christian philosophy.

• Allowance: Starting allowance in line with the salary structure,
• Review after 1 month in relation to job description and ability to continue
• Review after 3 months with an increase in allowance if all parties are in favor of continuing
• Review after 6 months in relation to fulfillment of job description
• Annual review (after 1 year) with consideration of allowance and conditions of service continuing

To request a job description and application form please use the contact form or phone 038 422-678 or 086-688-5867.

Informal queries about the post can be made to Dianne Doell via the contact form or 0819454307.

To apply please send your completed application form and covering letter by by post to MERCY Center, PO Box 174, Banglamung, Chonburi  20150, Thailand.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 17^th May 2009

Fred & Dianne Doell

International Directors

This article was published in the Pattaya Today Newspaper on the 5-5-2009 

All too often we foreigners in Thailand live ‘the bubble existence’, existing on the periphery, barely scratching the surface. As a result, we often get an extremely distorted view of the reality of life for many in this so-called ‘Fun City’. Although many of us largely yearn for hedonistic delights, there are a significant number, mainly impoverished Thais, whose only experience is pain; not by choice, but through force of circumstance. 

The reality of Pattaya for many is one of disillusionment. Drawn to Pattaya as a means 

The Doells surrounded by their brood of children

of escaping an often dire existence in Esarn, for example, frequently, when these overly optimistic people arrive here, they rapidly learn opportunities are few, work is scarce and they often don’t have adequate ID and the other bureaucratic necessities to fit into the system, meaning they can’t even send their children to school. 

Frequently, they fall foul of the law, perhaps being picked up by the police for vagrancy or begging. Thailand, not being a welfare state as such, relies on the extended family network, or the temples to support its indigents. 

However, if the family is still back home and likewise destitute, or the wats are chronically short of funds and already overburdened, what are these unfortunates and especially their children to do? 

This is where the Mercy Center comes in. Pastors Fred and Dianne Doell, the international directors of the centre, are Canadian Christians who first came to Thailand 12 years ago, saw the grim reality for many of the impoverished Thais and responded from the heart. 

Pastors Dianne and Fred Doell with one of the Mercy Center’s happy children

They came first as missionaries, setting up a children’s home in Sri Racha, later moving to Pattaya in 2000 to establish the Victory Church, and the Mercy Center in 2003. Their mission is to help the needy, primarily through: 

- providing a refuge for neglected children, or those at risk, (currently 24); 
- visiting the ‘chumchon’ or slum areas to distribute food, clothing and other essentials;  - arranging frequent visits to prisons to provide fruit, water and medication;  - assisting underprivileged children via their scholarship programme, providing books, uniforms, transportation costs and lunches for those who would otherwise be deprived of an education; 
- a network of early learning and day-care centres in the impoverished areas; 
- single-parent support. 

The items mentioned above are merely the tip of the iceberg, considering all the ways the Mercy Center provides outreach assistance to the underprivileged, impoverished and dispossessed. The above are the micro-concerns, the macro-concerns that the Mercy Center has also made significant contributions to include the victims of the Burmese cyclone, the Tsunami and Chinese earthquakes, as well as the Burmese/Hill Tribe refugees. 

Of crucial importance, however, is that these humanitarian works are essentially 

Pastor Dianne got a helping hand from Ms Elizabeth Sheperd

conducted by a relatively small group of dedicated volunteers and the centre is entirely dependent on donations and the goodwill and generosity of those aware of the plight of many in the community and who are willing to donate money, time and effort. Although help is extended to the Mercy Center by organisations like the Jesters, the Rotary Club of Pattaya, World Vision, the PILC, Pattaya Expats Club and the Yacht Club, considerably more help in terms of donations and voluntary assistance is urgently needed. This article is essentially a cry from the heart, to broadcast and publicise the sterling work being done by the centre and to call for help in whatever way possible from the international community in Pattaya, so as to make a positive contribution to the welfare of the truly needy in this city.

Contact 086-688 5867