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Justin and Alex
-- In November, Alex and
Justin were matched in the Site Based program and met
every Tuesday at the after school program. Justin would
arrive at the program at around 3:30 and by the time he
had taken 2 steps inside the door, Alex would meet him
and “help” him sign in. Alex lives 2 blocks from the
school but in the winter and fall he would leave the
school at about 4:30 so he could get home before it got
too dark…except on Tuesdays. He would brave the dark to
spend as much time as he could with Justin who normally
left around 5:30. After a couple weeks, the site
director told Justin that Alex was afraid to walk home
after dark, so Justin contacted his caseworker to find
out what he needed to do so that Alex wouldn’t have to
walk home alone. Justin’s 18th birthday was
only 2 weeks away, so his caseworker completed the
paperwork to convert their match from Sited Based to
Community Based and as soon as Mom was able to be
interviewed, the match was converted. The guys
continued to meet after school, but Justin was able to
give Alex a ride home if it was dark before he left.
They were also able to attend some of the match
activities together and see each other on the weekends
and in the summer, as Justin’s work schedule allowed.
In February, Alex’s mother was told that Alex might be
held back in school and that he had to really improve
before he would be allowed to go into the next grade.
The site director told Justin that Alex was failing and
Justin started encouraging Alex to do better in school
and would check his book bag to make sure all homework
was done before they played any games or shot hoops. On
Awards Day at school, Alex received the award in his
class for the most improved student in his class…and
passed to the next grade!
Paula and
Jenna -- Paula
is a sophomore at Illinois College. She has been
involved in 4-H since she was nine years old, but this
is the last year she will be able have entries in the
4-H fair. When she met her Little Sister, Jenna, a
month before the fair, she asked Jenna if she had ever
entered anything in the fair. Jenna, 11 years old, had
never been involved in 4-H and didn’t know that she
could enter something in the fair in the open
competition. Paula taught Jenna to arrange flowers and
Jenna entered 2 arrangements in the fair in the junior
open competition, winning two first place ribbons.
Paula helped her decorate a cake, make strawberry
preserves, and crafts for the fair. In all Jenna
entered six categories and won ribbons for every entry.
She was so excited to show her single parent, her dad,
the entries at the fair sitting on display with her
ribbons. He was so proud and told me that this was just
what he was looking for, someone who could mentor Jenna
in the “female arena” about which he was clueless.
Dad’s buttons were popping off his chest and Jenna’s
smile wouldn’t quit. I don’t know if Paula really
realizes just what that meant to Jenna, and what a
difference that makes in Jenna’s life. |