About Us

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

Mercy’s Gate Rogue Valley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization that works to holistically support people
working hard but struggling to make it in the Rogue Valley.
Our mission is to decrease the incidence of homelessness
by assisting low income households in crisis. We strive to
help people who encounter an emergency that puts them
at risk of becoming homeless.

We work to provide:

• Practical help in areas of need that are physical,
financial, emotional and spiritual

• An IDP, Individual Development Plan: Working with
individuals and families in goal setting for self-sufficiency,
walking with them through difficult seasons of life’s journey

• Walking with individuals through the process of debt
reduction and financial stability

• Mentoring through difficulties in relationships

• Connecting individuals and families to a church community

Our mission is made possible by the unified financial and volunteer efforts of a coalition of local churches, along with the gifts of individual donors. Stepping in as a safety net to stop a downward spiral will be a tangible prevention of homelessness and bring strength, health and demographic renewal to the Rogue Valley.

As we continue in our efforts to gather and equip more volunteers, we will gain the ability to provide more services.

Our Name

During Bible times, there was a common gate in the Old City of Jerusalem that worshippers of God entered through called the Golden Gate, or the Gate Beautiful. People entered here to come into the Temple to worship and pray to God. They were seeking the Mercy of God for their lives and situations, so it
also came to be known as the Gate of Mercy.

Some less fortunate people were unable to enter the temple because of poverty or illness and disability. These people positioned themselves at this "Mercy Gate" hoping to receive help and compassion from those entering the temple. You can read a specific occurrence of this in the Bible - Acts, Chapter 3, where a man who was born unable to walk received an amazing gift of complete healing at this gate.

Naming this organization "Mercy's Gate" expresses our desire to create a place where people with pressing needs can meet others connected to God and receive helpful support. We want to encourage those who enter here and share hope during difficult seasons of life. It is our desire to see all who come to Mercy's Gate Rogue Valley become connected to the God of Mercy and to a community of believers who can encourage personal and spiritual growth.

The Gate Beautiful - Israel

Meet Our Team

Carol Fiddler

Executive Director

Carol Fiddler and her husband, Dan, moved to the Rogue Valley in 1991 with their three young children. From her childhood years in Nigeria, Carol developed a thorough understanding of hardship, poverty, and the compassionate care of people.
She has also accompanied her husband, Dan to many impoverished countries. This has broadened her global perspective of dire need. While raising her children, she put her college degree to use in writing curriculum for many children’s programs. Carol and Dan took a 10-year hiatus to Colorado
in 2005 and returned to Medford in 2015. While in Colorado, Carol felt led to work at an emergency assistance center. This work fueled her passion to create Mercy’s Gate Rogue Valley and further incorporate her graduate work in
Rehabilitation Counseling.

Ginny Buck

Secretary

Ginny Buck has been in the insurance business

for over 20 years and is co-owner of Jacksonville Insurance. She has spent most of her life in southern Oregon. Ginny has been active in the community as a mentor of young women through Youth for Christ for many years. She has also dedicated years of service tending to the needs of the people in crisis through ministries in her church. Ginny and her husband, Dan, have two grown children and
five grandchildren.

Board Members

Dan Buck

Board Member

Dan Buck is a retired educator with 38 years in the classroom and the other co-owner of Jacksonville Insurance Company. He has lived in Southern Oregon for the past 47 years. Dan has served as both Deacon
and Elder in local churches while mentoring young boys in the Youth for Christ HATS program. Dan and his wife, Ginny, have two grown children and five grandchildren.

Dan Fiddler

Board Member

Jacob Ghena

Board Member

Leesa Henselman

Board Member

John Michaels

Board Member

Lynn Reordan

Board Member

Dan Fiddler is a physician who came to the Medford area in 1991. Over the years, he served in hospital leadership roles as department chair, and as President of the joint medical staff of Asante and Providence Medical Centers.
Dan also served as Chairman of VolPACT, an organization which helped provide voluntary specialty medical care for low income individuals not qualifying for state or federal assistance programs. He has personally been involved in over 25 international medical trips providing medical and surgical care for low income patients and collaborative education with
medical providers in Central America, Africa,
and the Middle East.

Jacob Ghena is a long-term resident of Southern Oregon having spent more than 35 years in the Rogue Valley. He and his wife Leah are members of the Jackson County Foster Parent Association and Safe Families, having created a loving home for more than a dozen foster children while simultaneously providing mentoring to their biological parents. Professionally Jacob is a Realtor, serving his clients with the heart of a teacher and restoring countless neighborhoods having flipped more than 80 Southern Oregon homes. He carries a Bachelor’s Degree in Managerial Accounting from Southern Oregon University and an MBA in Financial Planning
from Cal Lutheran.

Leesa Henselman is a long time resident of Southern Oregon where she met and married her husband, Scott. Together, they own and operate a successful commercial investment real estate company with a
40 years history in the valley. Between them, they
have 5 children and 8 grandchildren. Leesa has volunteered with numerous organizations over the years and has been a valued board member for several non-profits in the Medford area and abroad. She and her husband share a passion to serve Christ through missions and have had the incredible opportunity to lead mission teams to Haiti, Argentina, Cuba, Hungary and Serbia. “To have the ability to come alongside of someone during their greatest
time of need is a tremendous privilege and honor.
I am so thankful that Mercy’s Gate provides me
this opportunity.”

John Michaels works as support for the Medford based Procare software company. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army. Locally, John served
on the Medford City Council for 11 years, and one term on the Planning Commission. He has currently been appointed to the Housing and Community Development Commission. John is married to Gigi and they have been foster parents to 15 children, two which they have adopted.

Lynn Reordan is an orthopedic manual physical
therapist and co-owner of Jacksonville Physical
Therapy with her husband, Don. After having been involved in community service organizations in
California such as Soroptomist, Lynn and Don moved to Oregon over 25 years ago. Raising her two children while homeschooling, maintaining her therapy practice, along with serving in her church has been followed by leading a bi-weekly women’s fitness group and mentoring young women. Lynn has been involved with Redemption Ridge, traveled to the Dominican Republic with Helping Hands, and looks forward to serving her community through the unique work of Mercy’s Gate.