When I first met her I wasn't sure what to think. Her mom told me all about the anxiety and shyness her daughter experienced. We had talked about safety concerns and best match acitivities. We talked about precautions that would be taken and a lot more about what she enjoyed doing and things she would rather avoid. Given the Little's anxiety, we agreed that the first match should be a in a public location that mom could be nearby for any pressing concerns. They met at a community event where they were showing a kids movie. They went and got some popcorn and sat while they watched the movie. Mom was close by but not needed. The next match activity, mom stayed home and the two went off to try their hand at arts and crafts. They spent over 2 hours together playing with glitter, making things pretty. The Little came home beaming with excitement, ready for their next meeting. A month later during one of our check ins between the program and the parents, the mom told us how she has seen such a positive change in her daughter. She was testing new boundaries and trying new things. Her anxiety was decreasing as was her shyness. These two have been matched for quite a while now and we always love hearing their stories. The mentor has become an important part of her Little's life and they both Thank each other for the positive things they bring to each of their lives. This is one of our many mentoring stories and with your donations we can keep making these stories and memories happening.
One of our Little's talks about what it means to her to have a mentor.