A Mission of Giving

About Us

A not-for-profit corporation established in 1973 and managed by a board of respected citizens, Mercy Foundation strives to identify and fill the unmet health care needs of Douglas County residents.

Mercy Foundation's ability to help make stable, compassionate health care widely available in our community is dependent solely on the goodwill and support of individual citizens, businesses, and other foundations.

When you give to the Foundation, you may designate that your gift be used to benefit any of a variety of programs. Designated or not, your gift is tangible evidence that you are involved in and concerned with continuing the high level of health care available in our community.

Meet Our Staff

Melissa Garza-Schmidt | HKOP Community Coordinator

Denise Graham | HKOP Dental Database Management

Marion Pearson | Violence Prevention / Human Trafficking Program Manager

Michelle Wilfong | HKOP Dental Specialist

Trina Simmie | HKOP Program Manager

Jamie McElmurry | Development Specialist

Jamie Vanassche | T1D Youth Diabetes Coordinator

Erin Miller | HKOP Health Resource RN

Emma Pearsall | HKOP Health Resource RN

Shannon Johnson| HKOP Health Resource RN

Shawn Ramsey-Watson | Grant Manager and Writer

Lisa Platt | Executive Director

“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that all service is joy.” - Kahlil Gibran
“Everybody wants to save the Earth; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes.” - P.J. O’Rourke
“If you were born with the ability to change someone’s perspective or emotions, never waste that gift. It is one of the most powerful gifts God can give — the ability to influence.” - Shannon L. Alde
“Being innovative in your philanthropy allows you to stride forward in your giving journey; you can marry your mind and heart to turn charity into lasting impact; and you can become more ambitious in your giving.” - Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
“Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use.” - Gamaliel Bailey
“ Philanthropy is involved with basic innovations that transform society, not simply maintaining the status quo or filling basic social needs that were formerly the province of the public sector.” - David Rockefeller
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
“The results of philanthropy are always beyond calculation.” - Mary Ritter Beard