DON BOSLEY, Executive Director
A West Sac native and one of the Coalition’s co-founders in 2010, Don became the executive director in 2020 after a 17-year pastoral career. He’s been a key contributor in the development of the Winter Warming Centers, the Thrive Lives and JAM Academy programs, and now the effort to bring a Recovery Cafe to West Sac. Mostly he’s best-known for being married to Melody, one of the community’s favorite daughters and the real brains behind the outfit.
NICOLE RING-COLLINS, Program Manager
Another of the Coalition’s originators, Nicole is characterized by a joy, energy and compassion that animate absolutely every room she’s in. As program manager of the Winter Warming Centers from 2018-20, Nicole became the Mama-Bear face of that inspiring effort, engaging hundreds of West Sacramento volunteers and supporters in the process. She has a lead role in the Thrive Lives program and much of the MC’s Restorative Community programming.
LYNN PHELPS, Food Coordinator
Virtually anything the Mercy Coalition has done with food since 2013, Lynn has been in the middle of. She’s been the coordination point for more than 80,000 lunches in the former Daily Lunch Program, and thousands more in the Coalition’s current work with Project Homekey participants. Overflowing with compassion every single day, Lynn has also never met a holiday she didn’t want to make a hundred goodie bags for.
LAYNE BYERS, Resource Attendant
A West Sacramento native, Layne’s work at Project Homekey is characterized best by a deep empathy and relatability. A high number of the 60 Homekey participants are elderly or impacted by physical disability, and Layne takes care of their laundry needs and distribution of other resources. Those experiences have made him a contributing voice in the development of the JAM Academy and the Recovery Cafe.
CYNTHIA MARES, Administrative Assistant
Cynthia does more than keep the trains running on time; frequently, she is the train, helping getting resources out, donations in, purchases made, partners cared for, and volunteers coordinated. Another JAM Academy success story, Cynthia plies her lived experience to help shape and resource meaningful long-term programming for those impacted by homelessness, addiction and trauma.