Latest Posts
- Local Mothers Group Donates 100+ Diverse Books- By: Rachel Lopez March is #ReadingMonth! We know that reading is powerful. Books allow students to step into another world, reflect on their own life, and be inspired for the future. However, 85% of books feature White Americans [1]. The majority of students we serve are children of color which is why we are intentional… ...continue reading
- A Mentor Story: Eliano + Rafael- What do a Legal Specialist and a 2nd grader have in common? Surprisingly, quite a bit. Once a week, Rafael and Eliano stroll through the Mentor Center and Media Center, scoping out a good spot to eat their lunch. They giggle to each other and finish each other’s sentences as they recall past mentoring sessions.… ...continue reading
- Mentoring Appreciation Awards 2019- To celebrate #NationalMentoringMonth we recognized several mentors, supporters, and partners for their dedication, service, and impact. Thank you! "2019 Ripple Effect Award" Dave and Sue are a force to be reckoned with. Their contributions of time as mentors and match sponsors have had widespread effects to Affinity Mentoring and beyond, serving families of mentees, past… ...continue reading
- Mentor Story: Stacey + Mariana- Stacey Coffman is the Office Manager at Aon and has been for the last 25 years. She and her husband, Tim, have been married for 31 years and live in Cedar Springs. Their daughter, Lauren, lives in Ann Arbor. She wanted an opportunity to be a friend and role model to a student in Grand… ...continue reading
- A Mentor Story: Brandon Reyes- “When I was 5 or 6 years old my mom and I fled Veracruz, Mexico. Escaping an abusive relationship with my father,” explains Brandon. “As a young kid I still understood what was going on and why we had to leave.” Brandon vividly remembers crossing with the Coyotes to the United States, “I had really… ...continue reading
- “Make and Take” Fundraising Event at the Knickerbocker- "Make and Take" Fundraising Event at Knickerbocker in Downtown GR Life Expressions Decor, a local company, will be hosting a "Make and Take" sign event to benefit Affinity Mentoring! Create a 4x24 finished wooden sign in your choice of paint color with one of 50+ provided sayings using quality vinyl lettering while enjoying great food… ...continue reading
- Affinity’s Match4Match Fund- Join Affinity Mentoring as we work to support our new cohort of 65 mentor matches, Match4Match! Each year we have over 100 students on our waiting lists, anxious to see if this is the year they'll get a mentor. With support from our community partners, volunteers, and generous donors we were able to recruit,… ...continue reading
- 2017-2018 Annual Report- We are excited to share with you our first annual report! In this report you will find: A letter from our executive director Revenue and expenses Growth and sustainability Community impact Mentor stories Check it out now! Affinity's 2017_2018 Annual Report ...continue reading
- Leading by Example- Leading by Example | Board Member, Mentor, and Community Partner By Rachel Lopez Jason Loepp is a father of two young children. He and his wife, Heather, are from the East side of Michigan and lived in Tennessee for several years. In 2008 they moved back to Michigan to be closer to family, which… ...continue reading
- To Affinity and Beyond- An interview with Affinity Mentoring's Executive Director, Laura Ward, about Affinity's Journey to Independence. Affinity's Journey In 2001 Mars Hill Bible Church launched the Mars Hill Mentorship Program at Burton Elementary with 8 matches under the umbrella of Kids Hope USA’s “one church, one school” mentorship model. Over the years, this program grew to… ...continue reading