End of School Year
The end of the school year has come, and that means my weekly visits with my mentee Harley have come to an end, for a while, at least.
I have really come to look forward to my time with Harley each week, and have learned a great deal from him, as I hope he has of me, as well, and I know that I will miss my weekly visits with him throughout the summer. Harley and I will begin again in the fall.
We spent the last day addressing envelopes. Yes, envelopes. I gave Harley three stamped envelopes, whereupon he wrote my name and address on them. I, in turn, did the same thing. Our plan is to write each other three times over the course of the summer.
I also plan to catch up with him from time to time over the summer via phone, as well as meet up with him at the Summer Reading at the Public Library.
Harley and I also spoke about the importance of staying out of trouble in school, as well as a future in college. He told me that he might not be able to afford college. That saddened me—a second grader already half convinced that he couldn’t go to college due to lack of funds.
Well, I stopped him right there, and told him of all the possibilities of financial help he could have, and that money should never, ever stop him from going to college.
One of the biggest needs of the Mentor Program in Jasper County is that of mentors, men in particular. There is a big turnover of mentors right now, as some have done it for a number of years, and are moving onto other projects, etc. Seven of the mentors leaving are students with Georgia Perimeter College, and are moving on to careers in other locations.
The need is a great one. Too many children in our county are growing up in single parent homes, lacking two strong role models. Though those roles can never truly be filled, mentors can help, in a small way, to fill that void.
Recently, when asked why he wanted a mentor, one little boy said that a mentor would help to cheer him up on a sad day. This young boy’s father died from a heart attack, leaving him fatherless.
Another little boy said that he would simply like someone to sit and talk with him during lunch. Finally, one young male said that sometimes things bother him at home, and he wanted to talk about those issues with someone.
Each week, Harley and I sit down for lunch and we talk about whatever is going on in both of our lives. Often, we will read stories to each other, other times we might sit and play the harmonica. There are other children in our town, like Harley, who just need someone to sit down and talk to, and be heard by.
If you are thinking that mentor is a good idea, why not consider becoming one yourself? The time you give each week may not seem like much to you, but it could be a world of time to a young boy or girl in our fair town.
For further information about the mentor program, you may call John DeGarmo at 706-468-9215, or Debra Hopkins at 706-468-6683.