Year 3 of Impact Mentoring!
by Tyler Lemmons
Recently we celebrated the end of our third year of Impact Mentoring with a bowling party! The mentoring pairs were able to cheer each other on through many gutter balls and a slice or two of pizza. We always like to end the year with a special party as a way to celebrate the mentors’ love and commitment to our children. Our hope is that they left last night feeling encouraged and appreciated for the enormous impact they are having on our children’s lives.
As I reflect on the last three years, one of the coolest things is that out of our thirty-three mentoring pairs, we have twelve pairs that have now been meeting weekly for three years. To me, that is huge! These twelve mentors have had the opportunity to show and teach God’s love to these kids throughout the ups and downs of three years. These kids have had a predictable time each week where they knew they were safe and they were going to be heard and they were going to be loved.
Mentoring is not an easy or quick fix; it is a journey that takes love, commitment, and patience. For a few of these kids these last three years have presented some very difficult challenges. There has been evil and darkness and pain, but when I see these mentoring relationships in action it becomes absolutely clear to me that God has been providing for them and caring for them the entire time through their mentors. So we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all our mentors for their time, love, commitment, and patience as they continue to journey with our kids year after year. We love you and we appreciate you! And if you have been wondering about Impact Mentoring and would like to know more, please talk to me or any staff member!
