Mentor Stories
Mentor stories of giving and receiving
Mentoring a family experiencing homelessness is a unique opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ. Walking along side a mother and her children and can touch their lives in powerful ways. At the same time, many mentors say how much their lives changed through showing love and friendship to a family in need.
Bridge of Hope has changed my life –not in a big, shocking revelation, but in a quiet, slow and steady awakening. I wanted to be involved in an outreach program and heard about Bridge of Hope.
Before our group could mentor, Bridge of Hope held several sessions at our church to explain the process. Each session was geared towards different aspects. When we were trained, we were matched with a family.
Because Bridge of Hope has such a wonderful program for preparing mentors, everything has gone fairly smoothly. The staff have been very supportive in leading us through expectations and boundaries, as well as defining and maintaining our roles in the program.
One way the program has changed me, is that I have learned to accept a total stranger into my life in an unconditional, loving manner. I also have been able to verify to myself how important it is to allow people to learn and grow at their own pace. The woman we mentored has been like a spring plant–small at the beginning, but has grown, matured and blossomed over time.
If you are wondering what it might be like to be a mentor, I encourage you to take a chance and let your life be changed, too!
When my husband and I were approached about joining a Bridge of Hope mentoring team at our church, we embraced the idea wholeheartedly. While we initially thought this would be a great opportunity for just the two of us, it didn’t take long to see that it was important for the whole family to be involved.
As our mentoring got underway, so did the monthly Bridge of Hope meetings. We were encouraged to bring our four sons to the meetings, and since our mother had a child the same age as ours this time of fellowship became an integral part of our journey.
Getting to the Bridge of Hope meetings was no small task for our family of six. Having a second grader and three kindergarteners at the time, there are logistics to getting homework completed, baths finished and piano practiced, and still having a healthy attitude to attend the meetings. Inevitably, after each meeting I was renewed, strengthened and filled with hope. I felt connected and could see stronger ties forming between our families as the result of spending this time together.
Maybe it was the hugs that were given to everyone as we arrived and departed. Maybe it was the school pictures that were proudly shared and given as gifts. Maybe it was the memorable acting skills of everyone while playing the game Gestures®. Maybe it was consoling the mother during the loss of a dear friend. Maybe it was watching our children lose teeth at the same time.
It is a resounding YES to all those maybes. It was simply being together and forming those family bonds that made our experience with Bridge of Hope such a blessing.