This Erie Gives Day, Help Us Keep Education and Opportunity Within Reach
At MCRC, education is about far more than what happens inside a classroom. It is one of the most powerful tools we can provide to help individuals and families build confidence, achieve self-sufficiency, and fully participate in the community they now call home.
For more than 50 years, MCRC has supported refugees, immigrants, New Americans, children, and families as they work to build safe, stable, and successful lives in Erie. We meet people where they are and provide the knowledge, skills, and support they need to move forward.
For a child, that may mean after-school tutoring, English language support, mentoring, and a safe place to learn and belong.
For an adult, it may mean learning English, preparing for employment, understanding how to communicate with a child’s school, navigating healthcare or housing, developing financial literacy, or gaining the skills needed to advance in the workplace.
For someone preparing to become a United States citizen, it may mean learning about our country’s history and government, understanding their rights and responsibilities, and discovering how to use their voice through civic engagement.
These programs do more than teach lessons. They help people navigate unfamiliar systems, make informed decisions, secure meaningful employment, advocate for their families, and use their talents and experiences to contribute to the economic, civic, and cultural strength of our community.
Today, this essential work faces growing uncertainty. Federal funding reductions for services supporting refugee students have placed MCRC’s youth educational programs at risk. At the same time, limited and changing public funding continues to affect the adult education, workforce development, and civic engagement opportunities our clients rely upon.
Your Erie Gives donation helps MCRC continue providing:
• Youth education, mentoring, and after-school support
• English language instruction for children and adults
• Employment preparation and workforce development
• Financial literacy and practical life-skills education
• Citizenship preparation and civic engagement opportunities
• Guidance for families navigating schools, healthcare, housing, and other essential systems
When you give to MCRC, you are not simply funding a class or a program. You are helping a parent communicate with a child’s teacher. You are helping an adult prepare for a job interview. You are helping a student succeed in school. You are helping a future citizen understand how to make their voice heard.
You are helping our neighbors gain the tools they need to become self-sufficient, build stronger futures, and contribute meaningfully to the community we all share.
This Erie Gives Day, help MCRC continue bringing essential education, opportunity, and connection to those who need it most.
Because when people are given the tools to succeed, our entire community grows stronger.