|
Once your church becomes a KHUSA Affiliate with a trained director,
you can volunteer to become a KHUSA mentor. Reaching out your hand to a
child in need is one of the most fundamental and genuine expressions of
faith. As a mentor, you’ll not only have a life-changing impact on a
child—you’ll also likely see your own life change in immeasurable ways.
What Do Mentors Do?
Each KIDS HOPE USA mentor provides one-on-one mentoring and
affirmation for one child from their neighborhood elementary school.
Mentors use materials provided by both the teacher and the KHUSA
Director to help the child achieve specific academic objectives. The
mentor’s primary role is to love and provide validation for the child,
using academic mentoring as just one vehicle in that process.
Each hour the mentor and child spend together is divided into six
parts:
That one hour really makes a difference. Teachers consistently
report that KIDS HOPE USA children show significant improvement in
attendance, academic performance, attitude and behavior.
|
Who Can Be a Mentor?
People who succeed as mentors have special abilities that empower
them to make a difference in the life of an at-risk child:
- The ability to say a child’s name and make him or her feel important.
- The ability to develop and maintain a focused relationship with a
child.
- The ability to be faithful in attendance and in their commitment to a
child.
- The ability to believe in a child, and help the child believe in
him- or herself.
- The ability to love a child and let a child love them in return.
In addition, mentors must meet certain qualifications that include:
- The ability to read at a basic level.
- The ability to get to the school.
- The ability to faithfully spend one hour each week with the child.
- The ability to pass a criminal history check.
|