He’s a Different Person Now

Luciano and Tim have been matched for more than a year.  At first Luciano was a quiet kid that hardly talked or answered any questions with a full sentence. When he was matched with his mentor, Tim, he was hesitant to begin meeting.  Perhaps he was afraid that he would be judged or ridiculed. But Tim was patient and understanding. He took the time to get to know Luciano and understand his interests.

Over time, Luciano started to open to Tim, he told him about his hobbies, his dreams, and his fears. Tim listened attentively and offered words of encouragement.

Tim has helped Luciano to learn new skills, like putting together his new bike. Luciano was so happy from the very beginning. When completed Luciano was embarrassed to tell Tim he needed training wheels, so he waited a couple of weeks to ride his bike!

“What if I took him inside the chicken coop to picking up some eggs?”  Tim thought this is probably something that Luciano had probably never done. So, the next time they got together, into the coop they went! Afterwords they made scrambled eggs for a delicious dinner together.

Luciano even took some eggs home. He bragged to his mom and siblings about his adventure in the chicken coop. He is so excited to learn new things, and so proud of his accomplishments!

Tim has noticed that over time Luciano’s confidence has really grown as he’s begun to make more friends and is no longer the quiet and reserved kid that he was at the beginning.

Both Luciano and his mom are so grateful that he finally has a positive male role model.  He was missing that key person and it negatively affected his attitude and behavior.  Now, Luciano waits close to the door the day that he is meeting with Tim because he knows he is going to have a good time.

He’s a different person now and both he and his mom are happy about the change, thanks to his committed and caring mentor.

Here are just a few of the benefits that Luciano has experienced from having a mentor:

• Learned new skills and developed his talents
• Built confidence and self-esteem
• Has become more social and built new friendships
• Received ongoing support and encouragement from a trusted adult

If you know of a lonely or shy kid, we encourage you to share about our program. A mentor can make all the difference in the world. They provide support and encouragement as young people navigate the many challenges of life.

Visit the Mentor tab above to learn how you can be a mentor, like Tim, changing a kids world forever!  We’d love to have you join in the fun! Enjoy pouring your life into a young person and change our world.  Contact us: Call/text (509) 374-7657 or email info@forgeyouthmentoring.org.