KIDS HOPE

Kids Hope USA is a National Mentoring program that matches one church with one elementary school. Arborlawn has been a partner with J. T. Stevens Elementary for the past ten years. Each mentor is assigned a child who could benefit from an extra positive adult role model. Mentors meet with their child one hour a week at the school. We make it a point to build trust with our child whether it is reading them a book or shooting hoops out on the playground. Many of these relationships last far beyond the years the child is in elementary school because we become an integral part of the child's life and family.

Not only do we see positive changes in the children's self esteem and confidence but we feel the incredible impact the children have on our lives. A former principal at J. T. Stevens said, "When we have a child who is struggling academically or socially the first question we ask is, "Do they have a mentor?" She knew having a mentor was an effective way to impact on the child's life. It's not just important, our participation is critical in the lives of the children we serve.

One church, one school, one hour a week! Over the past ten years many folks from Arborlawn have stepped up and accepted the challenge. We owe each of them a tremendous debt for their gifts of time and talent for our Kids Hope Kids. We hope you will consider saying “Yes” to this incredible opportunity that will not only positively impact kids - but you too!

To learn more about mentoring with Kids Hope, Click Here, or email our coordinator, Bethan Stone, at enots@flash.net.

STORY

“We're going to call him Martin. He was assigned to me when he was in the first grade. He was toothless and had the biggest smile. I knew from the principal that he had emotional issues and would often lash out at other kids. We soon came to care deeply for each other. On mentoring days he would come charging around the corner with arms open wide to greet me. He was always polite to me. We read stories, wrote stories, talked about his grandpa who had recently passed away, went for walks around the building and such. I shared my life story with him and he shared his. At the end of that year Karen Gossett had created Camp Epic so our Kids Hope kids would have something in the summer. Martin was the happiest kid at Camp Epic. He and his sister came every summer. My relationship grew with his single mom and that continues to this day. Martin will enter high school this year. He's the strongest spokesman for Kids Hope I've ever met. He'll tell you that Arborlawn changed his life. He's sure changed mine.”

Story

“We'll call him Toby. Toby is an autistic boy who had very limited social skills. As many children, Toby is very bright. When we matched mentor to kid, we decided a male mentor might be the best match. We matched him with Tom Hutchinson. This was definitely a match made in heaven. Change began to happen and we all watched Toby emerge from his shell and begin to participate in activities. When summer came he participated in Camp Epic. Tom was there to reassure him. By the time Toby was in the 5th grade, he had come full circle and had made friends with his classmates and had gained confidence in social situations. We told Tom that if he never did another good thing in his life what he did for Toby would be more than sufficient. Toby's parents were so very grateful.”