Mercy Chilunga feels at home when things seem to be the hardest.
When Mercy came to Little City in January 2026, she walked into one of the most demanding environments by becoming a DSP at the Charles Evans Gerber Home, where children with some of the highest-intensity needs reside. For the former nurse who always wanted to work with children, it was the place she most wanted to be.
“I love children and it has always been a passion of mine to work with people with developmental disabilities and give them hope for tomorrow. You learn to be patient and be calm, and you can become a person they feel safe with. And when they feel safe, they can grow.”
With only one verbal resident at the Gerber Home, Mercy quickly learned to communicate with each resident on their own terms and in their own way. Even her co-workers have been amazed at how fast she found breakthroughs with residents who proved challenging for others. Whether it is Jackson creating a circle in the air with his finger to show he needs to sit down, or Chris signaling he wants her to come sit in his room so he can show her something, Mercy has found the keys to helping those with the highest support needs regulate their emotions and feel calm when they’d otherwise fall into maladaptive behaviors.
“Most of them cannot communicate verbally but everyone can hear and it is so important in how you talk to them and the tones they hear. If they get upset, I do not get upset. I stay calm because they need to hear calm and they want to hear calm. People sometimes ask me ‘Why do you want to work there; it can be so hard’ but this is where I want to be. I want to be right here. I was a bit nervous when I first got here, but I got to know the boys. And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”