During the eight years she worked at a juvenile correctional facility, Nancy Alcorn saw firsthand the poor outcomes of the government’s attempts to save abused and troubled girls.
The psychiatrists at the facility told the girls that they were irreparably broken. After leaving the lockup, many quickly returned or wound up dead as a result of drug overdoses.
Alcorn wanted a better future for those girls. So she started Mercy Ministries, a program that provides free housing and counseling for young women ages 13-28. These young women often have histories of self-harm, sexual abuse, substance abuse, unplanned pregnancies and eating disorders.
But since starting Mercy Ministries in 1983, Alcorn has witnessed amazing transformations in the lives of thousands of these women.
“Whatever the problem is, Jesus is the answer,” Alcorn often tells them.
Jesus has proven to be remarkably more effective than the government. When they leave, the girls are asked whether Mercy has transformed their lives and restored their hope. More than 90 percent say, “Yes.” Women who were once told that they were “damaged goods” have gone on to become prestigious doctors and White House interns, thanks to Mercy.
Mercy has four houses across the country, with international branches in the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Donors to the organization include Dave Ramsey and Duck Dynasty‘s Phil and Kay Robertson.
Alcorn attributes Mercy’s success to Christ. “It is not about what I know,” Alcorn says. “It’s about the truth of what’s in God’s Word. Apart from Christ, there is no such thing as a changed life.”
Alcorn has adapted lessons from Mercy’s program for a book, Ditch the Baggage, Change Your Life, released Oct. 6. For more information about Mercy, visit mercyministries.org. —Taylor Berglund
Charisma Staff 
Shane Idleman