Mentor Story: James + Jerry

By Rachel Humphreys

James [left] and Jerry [right] during a Friday mentoring session.

Sitting outside the Mentor Center at Burton Elementary, James and Jerry are intently working on an i-Pad. A victory sound chimes, Jerry eagerly turns to James with a huge grin and begins a celebratory dance in his chair. James congratulates Jerry on completing Level 8, a challenging activity to master “Silent E” (an activity assigned to the match by Jerry’s second grade teacher, Ms. Almanza).

The two are in their second year of mentoring. Jerry is cheerful, funny, and talkative. His mom, Blanca, enrolled him in the program because she wanted him to have a mentor to help him build confidence in speaking and have a positive role model.    

James works at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) and heard about the opportunity to mentor through his colleague, Jason Loepp. Jason leads the BCBSM partnership, is an Affinity board member, and has been a mentor for the past 5 years. After learning about James’ background in nonprofit management, after-school programming, and love for the community he encouraged him to apply.


Jason Loepp and James Peterson accept Affinity’s 2019 Priceless Partner Award on behalf of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

“It’s the highlight of my week,” explains James. “After a long work week, I look forward to our Friday mentoring sessions to share jokes and laugh,” he smiles. James is originally from the Lansing area and spent several years working in Detroit through MSU Extension. He and his wife, Samantha, moved to Grand Rapids a few years ago to work for BCBSM. The community partnership with Affinity made it easy for him to participate, “BCBSM gives volunteer hours. They are very open to volunteerism and being part of the community. I just had to let leadership know.”

Jerry’s favorite thing to do together is read the “Fly Guy Series” (if you’re unfamiliar with what kids are reading these days, this popular series follows the adventures of a kid, Buzz, and his pet fly, Fly Guy, as they navigate daily life challenges). Jerry and James are often found in heated (yet playful) debates on which one of them is more like Buzz or Fly Guy. 

James and Jerry have strengthened their friendship over the last two school years. “I see his confidence and best-self coming out. We play a lot of soccer, read books, and we work through things when he’s upset, often talking about Fly Guy,” says James.

With two young children of his own and full-time job, James is very intentional about making time for mentoring each week, “My job is chaotic, but I just make it work. When I’m here I make sure I’m present in the moment and attentive. I shut everything else out.”

James appreciates the staff support and says, “It’s been really helpful. Rocio does a great job of letting me know if Jerry and his family are coming to an event or if I miss a progress report.” This year his goal is to get Jerry more engaged in the mentoring events that happen. 

“We’re always working together,” explains Jerry. “He helps me learn new words.” He describes James as “nice, helpful, and kind” and he looks forward to his weekly mentoring. Jerry says, “If we stopped meeting I would feel sad. I was waiting for like a year to have a mentor. I feel really happy together. It’s a lot of fun.”

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a community partner, click here, or support matches like Jerry and James by making a small monthly donation.

Affinity Welcomes New Board Members: Jatnna + Veronica

Affinity would like to introduce our two newest board members, Jatnna Abreu and Veronica Bradford.

JATNNA was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and moved to Grand Rapids at the age of 14. She has a Bachelors in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University and a Masters in Organizational Development from Western Michigan University. Jatnna currently works at Amway as a Senior Talent Management Specialist in Human Resources. She is the Vice Chair of Amway’s Multicultural Inclusion Network and will be the incoming 2020 Chair. Jatnna was recently recognized by the Grand Rapids Business Journal as a 2019 GRBJ 40 Under 40 Honoree. During her free time she mentors through Affinity Mentoring at Southwest Community Campus and serves on the board of a small international non-profit organization called Changing Thirsty Lives. Jatnna loves spending time with her husband and three year old son.

VERONICA is the Diversity & Inclusion Specialist at Gordon Food Service where she supports the delivery of the North American Diversity & Inclusion strategy.  Veronica is active in her community, as evident in her work and commitment to organizations such as Jack and Jill of America Inc. where she is a member and serves as Program Director for the Greater Grand Rapids Chapter, and member of Women United – Heart of West Michigan United Way. Veronica has supported Affinity’s work as a partner through her work at Gordon Food Service as well as Jack and Jill of America Inc. She is a 2011 graduate of Heart of West Michigan United Way Project Blueprint as well as 2016 graduate of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Leading Edge Program. Veronica and her husband, Derek, have two sons Grayson and Easton. In her spare time, she loves to enjoy time with her family and travel. 

We’re thrilled to have these amazing and talented community leaders join our board of directors, welcome! If you’re interested in joining our board get more information here.

Wyoming Community Foundation Supports Expansion

By Rachel Humphreys

The Wyoming Community Foundation has awarded Affinity Mentoring a $2,750 grant to support expansion to Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center in Wyoming, MI. This award will be combined with the support from Molina Healthcare, Steelcase Foundation, and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to:

  • Recruit, screen, train, and match 30 mentors with a student
  • Stock the Mentor Center with games, activities, crafts, books, and other resources
  • Provide ongoing match support to retain and support students and their mentors

So far, 17 kindergarteners and first graders have been matched with a mentor, but there is still a need. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, apply here.

The Wyoming Community Foundation,  a regional affiliate of Grand Rapids Community Foundation, evaluates local needs and opportunities and looks to fund projects that address the areas of art & culture, community development, education, environment, health, or social needs.


If you or your organization would like to support Affinity’s expansion to Wyoming please contact rhumphreys@affinitymentoring.org or check out our Community Partners Page.

Affinity Named “Nonprofit of the Year”

Executive Director, Laura Ward, and Site Coordinator, Rocio Moreno, accept the award on behalf of Affinity.

The Grand Rapids Chamber celebrated the 10th Year of EPIC (Entrepreneurial, Progressive, Innovative, Collaborative), the premier business award celebration that recognizes both the businesses and the individuals that foster community growth, demonstrate innovation, and have championed alongside others as mentors and collaborators in our region at 20 Monroe Live!.

Each award category recognizes those who are leading in growth and innovation, strengthening the business community, enabling collaboration and connections, and accomplishing incredible endeavors with a focus on the future.

This year, over 150 nominations were submitted for consideration. After the selection committee comprised of Grand Rapids business leaders studied the nominees’ newest initiatives, collaborative efforts, impact in the community, and philanthropic vision, 40 finalists were announced in September, and 9 recipients were honored at the EPIC Awards Celebration on Wednesday, October 30 at 20 Monroe Live, including Affinity Mentoring at the “Nonprofit of the Year!”

Executive Director, Laura Ward, accepted the award on behalf of the Affinity team, “We share this win with our 1,700+ students their families and their mentors. We know it takes all of us to lift up children through a supportive network and we’re grateful for our 30+ Community partners that invest in the life of children and sustaining this important work.”

“We’d also like to thank our partner schools, Burton Elementary, Burton Middle School, Southwest Community Campus, and Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center for inviting us to be a part of their school community and walking alongside our work,” says Laura. “Affinity Mentoring values relationships and it starts with our people – our dedicated team members and board members who bring the passion, drive, and commitment to quality mentoring. And we’re just getting started!”

Links to media coverage:

Women’s Lifestyle Magazine

MiBiz

Grand Rapids Chamber

Mars Hill Impact Tour

Join Affinity Mentoring for an evening to reflect on our journey to independence and future growth. The Mars Hill community has played a significant role in building, sustaining, and championing our mission to lift up children in a supportive network.

Come witness firsthand, the impact of your contributions of service and financial support. As a compelling force for good, we want to thank you for your devotion to the Burton families. There will be refreshments, a tour of the Burton Mentor Center, and a short presentation to share the measurable change you have made and where we’re headed next.

Date: Thursday, October 17, 2019
Time: 6pm-7:30pm
Location: Burton Elementary

RSVP HERE