MERCY DRIVE INITIATIVE
Economic Development
Economic Development will have its roots in a community development corporation that will employ residents of the Mercy Drive corridor who are earnestly seeking a hand up. Mercy Drive Cleaning Service (MDCS) will be established in the coming months to offer construction companies an alternative to the unpredictability of the ?day labor mill,? while offering laborers fair treatment and equitable wage for their services. MDCS will take full advantage of the ?Blueprint? instituted by the City of Orlando as a vehicle to ensure small and minority business participation in community venues.
Within a few years, MDCS will be in a position to subsidize registration fees and the cost of books for employees who want to further their education and gain additional job skills at area vocation schools. MDM will partner with Workforce Central Florida to make this happen. Presently Heart of Mercy teams up with Jobs Partnership and First Presbytarian Church of Orlando to train and mentor students who are transitioning from welfare to work. Classes are held at the Heart of Mercy Church. In due time, this partnership will issue forth in the establishment of an employment and community resource center.
