At their September meeting, the vestry of the Mercer Island Emmanuel Episcopal Church approved the Social Action Commission’s recommendation that a donation of $2,000 be made to the Mercer Island Youth & Family Services Foundation. With the downturn in the national economy in 2008, MIYFS has seen an unprecedented level of requests for counseling services for families and individuals.

Emmanuel’s donation will be earmarked to help MIYFS fund salaries for licensed mental health counselors for their mental health program. The funds that the church has given will help to ensure the provision of affordable mental health to the vulnerable members of the Mercer Island community.