The One-to-One Ministry Troy comes from a home with barely enough food on the table. His clothes are hand-me-downs, which are raggedy looking at best. Troy's dad has been in and out of jail and rarely comes by to see him. When he does come by there is usually a great deal of anxiety because of his history of violent behavior. Troy has been matched to Carl for almost two years. Carl is a gentle-spirited, faithful mentor who has had a huge impact on Troy. Troy feels valued and loved. When Troy's Area Director arrived for a visit Troy had his baseball cap on and his mitt in hand. Since he lives across the street from a schoolyard, the two went to have a game of catch. While throwing the ball back and forth Troy was repeatedly distracted by something on the ground. He finally called his Area Director over to show him what it was. He began to pick up change that someone had dropped. He kept finding more as he kicked the dirt around. By the time Troy was finished, he had collected six quarters. They must have been there for quite a while because they were caked with dirt. That did not seem to matter to Troy, who saw past the dirt and scooped up what he thought was a fortune. Many people besides Troy must have passed by those quarters. Some may have walked by without noticing them, while others may have seen the quarters, but did not think it worth the effort to pick them up and clean them off. The reality is that most of society walks by these children without even noticing them. Others walk by thinking that these children are not worth the time to pick up and clean off. But not Troy's friend Carl. He has allowed God to search his heart to make time for Troy. Carl sees past the dirt of Troy's circumstances as he meets with him weekly. Carl once even commented, 'Troy's poor father does not know what he is missing.' God's obedient servant Carl is able to see the value in what Jesus called 'the least of these.' The Matching
Process: Mentors and assigned youths spend 2 - 4 hours together each week for one year, doing things they enjoy. Both are given an Area Director who supports, encourages and offers any necessary assistance. Youth Mentoring also plans many activities that help to build the relationship between the child and mentor by providing common-shared experiences that build a foundation for their friendship and provide fun memories. It is our hope that the child will experience God's love through the mentor and chooses to embrace the source of that love, Jesus Christ. The names of children
and families have been changed to protect their privacy. The Mothers´ Ministry Marilyn is a mother of three who was in a violent relationship. Daily she feared for her children's safety but lacked the confidence and knowledge to escape her abuser. Her oldest son, Hank, began to struggle both socially and academically. He was being ridiculed by his peers and began to fail. The school psychiatrist referred Hank to the One-to-One Program of Long Island Youth Mentoring. Hank was matched to Tony. The two friends met for 2-4 hours each week. Marilyn immediately saw the positive effect of her son's involvement. She began to long for the same support and encouragement she saw her son receive. One day Marilyn told her Area Director, 'I wish I had a friend just like my son.' Marilyn's was the first Long Island Youth Mentoring's Mothers´ Match. She was matched to Dorothy. Through their friendship, Marilyn gained the courage to leave behind her relationship and begin a new life for her and her children. It was also discovered that Marilyn was not raised by her mother but rather moved from foster home to foster home. In her match to Dorothy she gained not only a friend but a role model as well. Will you give a mother the time and care she sees her child receive? A vast majority of the children in the One-to-One Program of Long Island Youth Mentoring come from single-parent homes and are being raised by their mothers. It is our belief that in order to effectively minister to troubled families, oftentimes we not only need to reach the children, but their mothers as well. In this ministry, the mother volunteer agrees to give one to two hours a week to her Youth Mentoring Match. She is available to offer support, encouragement and friendship, a friendship that reflects the love and hope of Christ. The names of children and families have been changed to
protect their privacy. The Jail Ministry Two different twenty-year-old young men of similar backgrounds. Both are high school dropouts, come from broken, fatherless homes with mothers who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and have unstable living arrangements. Both were visited weekly while in jail and expressed a sincere desire to change their lives and get out of their environment. Once released, they each returned to live in the same drug infested community. One made all the right promises while he was incarcerated, but as soon as he was released, there was an immediate shift in his plans. He did not go back to school, he dropped his long-time girlfriend (whom he had committed to marry once he got out of jail) ,and he started hanging out with his old drug buddies. He was either fired from or quit four different jobs within a six-month span of time blaming either the employer or his inadequate wages. In the meantime, when he did get paid, he spent his money drinking and drugging. He didn't contribute anything to help his mother meet her monthly bills, though he lived in the house and was responsible for many of the expenses. Eventually, he alienated everyone who loved and cared for him and his life began to take a dramatic turn downward. The other young man did all the right things. He signed into a GED program, stayed away from his former negative friends and drugs and alcohol. Although, at first, he could only get temporary jobs, he completed each one. He was eventually hired to a permanent job. He is planning for his future and is determined to work toward it. He is open to the Good News of the Gospel and always accepts an invitation to attend church or church- sponsored events with his mentor. The most important similarity is that both young men were given the opportunity and support to fulfill their desire for a changed life. The difference between them is that one is allowing himself to be drawn back into the world and the other young man is allowing himself to be drawn to God. Will you give a young person a chance for a new life? Every young person who is incarcerated should have the chance for a new life. Through weekly group meetings the Youth Mentoring staff present Jesus as the way to freedom, not just from a jail compound, but from the forces that bring them there. Each young person who desires a changed life can be matched with a strong Youth Mentoring church volunteer. They meet one morning a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday) from 9:00- 10:30 am at the Nassau County Facility. A friendship is developed as they discuss hopes and plans for the future. Confusion is replaced with guidance, helplessness is replaced with hope. Many kids have asked for a mentor, yet are waiting. The names of children and families have been changed
to protect their privacy. The Partners to Potential Ministry Darnell is eight years old and has fallen behind in his reading. He was referred to the Long Island Youth Mentoring's Partners to Potential Program. Darnell lives with his mother in a drug-infested neighborhood where their Pit-bull and Rottweiler provide security. Darnell's two older brothers are in jail. The reality is that Darnell's involvement and successful participation in the program not only improved his reading skills but may also keep him from following the same path as his brothers. A contributing factor to the this ministry's inception is the statistical study which found a high correlation between young men in jail and the inability to read. Most teens who are in jail read at or below the fourth grade level. Will you help to change a child's future? Long Island Youth Mentoring uses its credibility within the communities in which we already work to establish partnerships between elementary schools and churches. We offer our expertise and program design to the Church. The Church then owns and runs an effective ministry to children in their community with limited or delayed reading abilities. Partners to Potential is an after-school tutoring program designed to help seven to ten-year-old children improve their reading level and grow in confidence while developing socially, emotionally and spiritually. Christian volunteers commit to spending one afternoon a week from 3:15 - 5:00 p.m. for one year. During the weekly meeting there is a group playtime, reading time and snack time as well as a one on one reading time with the child and the tutor. A Bible storybook is part of their curriculum. The names of children and families
have been changed to protect their privacy. This article reproduced with direct permission by www.liyouthmentoring.org and all material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and international conventions, and is the exclusive property of Long Island Youth Mentoring or any licensee. All rights reserved. © Long Island Youth Mentoring 2004. |
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The
Mission of Long Island Youth Mentoring: To assist the Christian church on
