Tuesday, December 16, 2008
In the course of spending a lot (LOTS!) of time with all the kids downtown, Adam and I have come to realize that mentoring is really the best way to make a difference in their lives. In fact, together with Metro Kidz, Adam has launched a mentoring program for Vision Atlanta. So far, there are 4 kids being mentored by former counselors.
After church on Sunday, we went out for lunch with one of these mentors (Arielle), the girl she is mentoring (Arnesha), and the girl's two brothers. Arnesha is twelve, but looks at least sixteen. She spends most of her time taking care of her two youngest brothers who are two and three years old. Sitting there watching Arnesha talk to Arielle, grinning and giggling shyly, I was struck by the thought that this mentoring thing really works!
Of course, we DID already know that. Why else would we be leaving a full-time, steady job to cultivate the mentoring program? (oh yeah, have I mentioned that yet?) Adam and I are so passionate about mentoring for so many reasons. We love (LOVE!) camp, but also know that one week every summer is not necessarily enough to create lasting change that can be sustained in an environment that is difficult to say the least. That's why Adam is starting/developing the mentoring program as a follow-up to camp.
For many of these kids, one of the biggest obstacles they face is a decided lack of positive role models. The females they see are usually young, single, unemployed mothers living off welfare. The males they encounter are mostly drug dealers and absent fathers. As a result, these kids don't know any other way to grow up. They can't see the possibilities, they don't recognize their potential. Many times all they need is someone to point out another way of living, and someone who will support them and guide them towards a new destination: one that doesn't involve drugs, violence or welfare.
Adam has been mentoring Saviour (aka Sabo - I've told you about him before). Just a few weeks ago, I was struck by how far he has come since we first met him. You want to know why? Don't worry, I'll tell you . . . but this post is already entirely too long and I'm all 'written out' for today. Hopefully tomorrow fresh eyes and words will make it easier for me to tell the story in a way that doesn't involve entirely too many details and rambling side notes and boring, unnecessary information like this post is starting to have . . .
Posted by Becca at 8:13 AM
Labels: mentoring, Vision Atlanta
What a fun, enriching experience camp is for all of these kids - More pictures coming soon!
I want to introduce you to my friend Zack. Like the other kids we work with, Zack lives in low-income housing in Atlanta. His mom is twenty-six years old, and he is twelve. For those of you who are not a math whiz, that makes her fourteen when she became a mom. Still a kid herself, in my estimation. She doesn’t have a job and lives off the money she receives from welfare every month. It’s just her and Zack, and he has never met his father. In these ways, Zack is like the rest of the twelve year olds that we work with. But there is something special about Zack too. He has a rare ability to cheerfully navigate the obstacles that are placed squarely before him. He rarely fights, and he faces each day with a sense of humor and a maturity that is beyond his years. Yet he is also very much a kid. He loves to ride the skateboard he received from a sponsor for Christmas. He loves to get up front and lead dances at Metro Kidz. And he cannot wait to go to camp again this summer. Last summer was his first time attending an over-night summer camp. Not only did he have fun, but he also made the decision to follow Christ. Many times throughout the year, Zack has reminded us that his name is written “in the book” (of life). He knows where he is going after he dies, which is the greatest gift camp could have given him.
