One of the best parts of mentoring is witnessing the growth in your student’s life. Sarah Dornbos, a director from Eagle Rock CA, recently saw a students life come full circle. She celebrated with Fernanda, a former Kids Hope student who completed mentor training this fall. The celebration was way bigger than just finishing the training.

A mentor named Robin had worked with Fernanda from 2nd to 6th grade and attended her High School graduation. Fernanda finished high school in May and immediately reached out to Sarah, the Kids Hope director, to find out what it takes to get involved with Kids Hope as a mentor. This fall Fernanda scheduled her college classes and job around her Tuesday mentoring sessions with new student Bella.

When a Kids Hope student returns to become a mentor it’s such a momentous event. It’s amazing to see the powerful impact of mentoring paying it forward from a former mentee.

We pray for our students, and on occasion we are privileged to witness 11 years of prayer being answered. We think you’ll agree, it’s a beautiful sight.

The post The Powerful Impact of Mentoring appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

In November over 60 KHUSA students get to spend a night of fun with their families and mentors at Fun Trackers Family Fun Park. Kids Hope Directors Debbie and Robin work hard to coordinate this phenomenal event. They do all they can to make the evening an amazing time full of fun and games. Partnering with three other churches, there are students from six schools attending. It is wonderful to see relationships grow deeper because of their time together.

For two hours students have unlimited access to the fun park and then get all the hot chocolate and pizza they can eat. The event creates a tremendous bonding experience for mentors, students, and families to play together, eat together, laugh together, and talk together. It opens new doors for relationships between mentors and family members that normally wouldn’t happen.

Parents get a chance to get to know mentors and mentors can spend time just playing and having fun with students. Last year it was the best attended KHUSA event that Yorktown Baptist Church organized and its success sparked the interest of schools and churches now wanting to partner with Kids Hope.

At last year’s event a dad of one of the students just lost his job. He connected with some of the mentors who helped introduce him to a small business owner from Yorktown Baptist Church. After a few people joined together to help meet the family’s immediate needs, he was offered a job with that business owner and the family was back on their feet again by Christmas. It’s such a gift to see that whole families are changed by this night of fun.

Debbie and Robin’s dedication and passion to organize this fun party is so inspiring and empowering that other churches and schools are looking to join KHUSA. It’s amazing to see the mission to help kids grow even more.

The post Going Beyond the Mentoring Hour appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

The following is a letter from a school Principal in Weatherford, Texas:

“Dear Kids Hope Mentors,

While words cannot express my appreciation and thankfulness for each and every one of you, I am going to make an attempt.

Our students, teachers, and I are so fortunate to have you in our lives. We appreciate your help and guidance so much.

I was very patient waiting for the right school to continue my journey at as Principal. I am so glad I was placed at our school – for many reasons. Kids Hope is one of the top reasons. In my 25 years as an educator, Kids Hope is by far the best mentoring program that I have been connected with.

We have received our 2009-2010 Preliminary TAKS scores. Official scores/campus ratings will be made public in the Fall. Our scores show that we will be EXEMPLARY for the 3rd year in a row!!!!!

We are so excited!! Please know that YOU played a huge part in this whether you were a mentor, prayer partner, or both.

Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Wishing you an EXEMPLARY day,

Principal of a very Grateful School”

The post From a School Principal appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

From a Kids Hope USA Mentor:

Henry and I have been hanging out for 5 years now. Most of the time, we just read, play games, eat (because it’s over lunch hour these days), and talk. If he has some homework I help him with that as well. He’s a good kid. He’s a fun kid. We have built a great friendship, but there is always this lingering, am I really doing anything for him? Since day 1 of mentoring Henry I’ve wondered if what I was doing really was making a difference. I even had re-assurance from the teacher and others that I was making an impact, but it just never seems like enough. There’s so much more I could and want to do for him, but for now, this is where I’m supposed to be. So, I’ve decided to embrace the statements that I am making a difference even though I don’t usually feel like it. I’ve embraced just seeing him for 20-30 minutes instead of an hour some years because that’s all the time he had between classes after being in Middle School.

Last year was the first time I ever realized I was making a difference.

It was our last time being together before the summer and I always like to reassure him that I’ll be back in the fall as long as he wants me to. So I mentioned, “Well, I’m hoping to come back next year as along as that’s okay with you.”

I waited for a head nod or some affirmation that he had even heard what I said. He tends to not focus the best. Then he replied with the sweet words that have been on repeat in my head all summer long, “All the years!” With much enthusiasm and enjoyment.

That was the first verbal affirmation in 5 years that I received which leads me to believe that maybe I am making a difference. So for all those mentors out there who think they aren’t, just keep showing up and getting to know your student. YOU. ARE. MAKING. A. DIFFERENCE. Live into that truth even if you don’t feel like it most weeks. Your steady presence is impacting a life and you may not see the impact for years, but you are helping guide them to a life where they have the option to make better choices and understand those choices. Cheers to all those who will stick around for “All the years!”

The post “All the Years” appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

“I can’t imagine why God continues to amaze me but He does!  When He decides to move mountains, it just happens!  The first mountain was me even mentoring this year.  I did everything I could to talk myself out of it and yet, there I was, saying “yes.”  When you and I talked about who I might have this year, I knew Andrew was the right one immediately.

When I went today, Ms. Smith and I had a minute to discuss Andrew.  She explained that she had Andrew in 3rd grade last year and now again in 4th grade.  Andrew does NOT talk, ever, even though he is very capable of speech.  If you ask him a question, he does not even say yes or no, he just shrugs.  He also does not smile, EVER!  So Ms. Smith and I agreed that was quite a challenge and whoever was able to get him to smile first would win a chocolate.  She also gave me a journal that he and his mentor used last year as a means of communicating.  They would write in the journal instead of talking.  So as I gathered up Andrew, I just thought, Oh Lord, You have really given me a difficult one this year.  I thought Ishmael was difficult last year because he was just so full of himself.  Now I have just the opposite and what in the world am I going to do with this one.  But the minute I laid eyes on that kid, I knew I loved him!

We went to the cafeteria and I just started talking – one of those, “I will tell you something about me and you tell me something about you. ”  Andrew started opening up even though he spoke so quietly that I could hardly hear him.  I explained that I had these “old ears” and didn’t hear all that well so could he speak up –  and he did.  I had laid his journal between us on the table.  As we talked, he very gently just slid that journal to the far end of the table.  I don’t think we will be journaling this year.  I think we are going to be talking – and hopefully smiling.

As we were going back to his room, he asked what I had done this summer.  (Not only was he talking but he was asking questions!)   I told him I had gone to Minnesota to visit friends and I had spent time with my granddaughters who were home from school.  I came so close to missing a wonderful opportunity.  Almost as an afterthought, I asked him what he had done this summer.  He said not really anything.  But, “I did go see my mom?”  That took me by surprise so I asked where his mom was.  He said he went to Houston to see his mom in prison.  I had not a clue and I was just astonished that he opened up to me and shared that.  I knew we were going to be a few minutes late getting him back to class but I just had to talk to him for that few minutes.  I was not going to miss that opportunity. I gave him a hug and told him I knew he must be sad and missed his mom.  We just talked a few minutes but it is one of those times I will never forget.

I can’t wait to see Andrew next week.  He wants strawberry pop tarts for a snack and wants to play checkers. I bet that is just what we will do!!”

Courtesy of a Kids Hope USA Mentor

The post No need for the Journal appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

The post One-on-One: Why does it matter that you read with your student? appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

The post One-on-One: Why does it matter that we combine relational and academic activities in the mentor hour? appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

The post One-on-One: Why do relationships matter? appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

The post One-on-One: Why Do Prayer Partners Matter? appeared first on Kids Hope USA.

The post Why does it matter that a mentor shows up every week? appeared first on Kids Hope USA.