In 2006, a small group of children in northern Ethiopia arrived at a faith-based center seeking food, medical aid, and an education. Nearly two decades later, that center—Grace Center—has grown into a beacon of hope, serving over 50,000 people annually, thanks to the vision of its founder, Marcie Erickson. Guided by faith, Erickson has built an organization that embodies Christ’s call to serve the least among us.
A Call from God
Marcie Erickson’s journey to Ethiopia began with a prayer. “I was a senior in high school and I said a prayer asking God what he wanted me to do with my life. I heard him send me to be a missionary,” she recalled, in an interview with Catholic News Agency (CNA). This calling led her to Ethiopia, where she was confronted with the reality of famine, abandoned babies, and extreme poverty.
Her experiences working in schools and orphanages throughout Africa ultimately led her back to Ethiopia. “God made it very clear that that was where he wanted me to be,” she said (CNA). Determined to help as many children as she could, she first adopted three boys and later a daughter before marrying her husband, Sefinew Birhanu Mengistu, in 2008. Together, they have built a family of 12 children while expanding Grace Center’s outreach.
A Vision to Serve
In a moment of prayer, Erickson received a vision for a center that would provide comprehensive care for those in need. “I was laying down in bed right in the midst of this,” she explained, “and God gave me this vision of having a center and how it could be properly run and properly staffed, and the kids would receive proper love and care” (CNA).
From that moment, Grace Center was born, rooted in a simple but profound question: “At Grace Center we ask: What would Jesus do for this person? Then we do the same,” Erickson said (CNA).
Today, Grace Center operates with approximately 225 staff members, offering food, water, housing, medical assistance, child care, and education. The organization is sustained primarily through private donations, with 85% of its funding coming from individual supporters who share in its mission.
Caring for ‘Every Single Person Who’s Genuinely in Need’
Grace Center extends its reach to some of Ethiopia’s most overlooked communities. One of its most vital programs is its prison ministry. In Ethiopia, children are often incarcerated with their mothers due to a lack of alternative care. “One of the reasons is to protect these children from being killed in revenge of the alleged crime of the mother,” Erickson explained (CNA). Through Grace Center, these children are provided with education and protection outside prison walls.
The center also runs a rare program for special-needs children in Ethiopia. Staff members provide various forms of therapy and use donated or locally built equipment to support children with disabilities. “These are babies that the police bring to us, usually, that are found in the ditches, they’re found in boxes,” Erickson revealed (CNA). The center aims to place abandoned children with Ethiopian families through local adoptions and foster care programs rooted in Christian values. “We were able to come in and say, ‘No, this is actually something that God does. He adopts each one of us, and we need to be prayerful about that’” (CNA).
A Lifeline for Mothers and Babies
One of Grace Center’s most profound initiatives is its baby rescue hotline, which offers support to expectant mothers in crisis. “The first text message went out to over 5 million phones in our area saying … if you’re pregnant or if you have a small child and need help, please call this number,” Erickson explained (CNA). The results have been life-changing. “Every single pregnant person that we’ve talked to up to this point through our hotline has decided to choose life for her baby, has carried her baby to term, and kept her baby” (CNA).
Expanding the Mission
Grace Center’s success in Ethiopia is only the beginning. Expansion efforts have begun in Debre Marcos, another Ethiopian city, where plans include a sustainable agriculture project to help feed the local community. “I feel like God’s just given me a big vision,” Erickson said (CNA). With the continued support of donors and volunteers, she hopes to extend Grace Center’s mission beyond Ethiopia to serve even more of God’s children in need.
As Catholics, we are called to live out our faith through acts of charity and service. Grace Center is a testament to what can be accomplished when one listens to God’s call and answers with unwavering trust. Erickson’s journey reminds us that, in Christ, there is no limit to what faith and love can achieve.
To learn more about Grace Center and how you can support its mission, visit their website or follow their work through Catholic news sources.
