We Need Male Mentors!

Last month we shared the need for a male mentor to be matched with a 2nd grade student. This student, who is playful, kind, and enjoys basketball, had been on the waitlist for two years and would benefit from having a strong male role model in his life. This post was shared 37 times!

It was only a matter of hours before former mentor, Eric Killgore, reached out to our team. He saw the Facebook post and felt it was a sign. He had been contemplating coming back to mentor, but he has 4 kids of his own and works full time. However, this was the push that he needed. It was a perfect match.

There’s Still a Huge Need

We currently have 16 male students on the waitlist at Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center, waiting for a positive male role model to step up.

BECOME A MENTOR



Meet Our Male Students on the Waitlist:

Z | A playful and funny leader. He is a 1st grader and his primary language is Spanish. He enjoys playing video games and with Legos. His current challenges are in math and reading.

E | A sweet, cooperative, and competitive 1st grader who can use help managing his emotions. He enjoys playing basketball, checkers, relaxing, coloring, and building Legos. Looking for a positive black male role model to help with his social skills, confidence, and following directions.

M | A funny and imaginative 1st grader. He enjoys reading, Minecraft, and building. He is in Special Education and needs help with his ABC’s, reading, and social skills.

D | Respectful, shy, and kind 1st grader whose primary language is English, secondary language is Spanish. He loves building Legos and playing outside. He struggles with anxiety and being separated from his mother, who is very active in his education. His father is deceased and he could use a male role model so that he can feel secure at school without needing his mother present at school and build his confidence.

L | Loving, strong-willed, and fun 1st grader who loves to share and dance. He has ADHD and is on the spectrum for Autism. He enjoys trains, cars, water play and basketball. Having a one-on-one male role model would be a great benefit for him with learning impulse control and getting help with math, writing, and reading.  His dog died in the beginning of the year, his dog was his best friend.  

G | Talkative, funny, kind, and playful 1st grader. He enjoys playing soccer. He is doing good academically but can benefit with help in his reading and spending one-on-one time with a positive male mentor

P | Reserved and strong-willed 5 year old boy in Kindergarten. He loves to build and take things apart. He does well with anything he has an interest in. At times he struggles socially in school. He does very well one-on-one and seeks male bonding.

L | Talkative, loud, playful, imaginative, strong-willed, and curious kindergartener. He loves animals and learning. His dad passed away a year ago in October. He will benefit in having a positive male role model and needs help with reading.

N | Shy, quiet, and reserved 1st grader who enjoys playing with cars, trucks, and playing outdoors. It takes him a while to warm up to people but loves puzzles and could use help with reading and math.

R | Respectful and attentive Kindergartener who loves to play and paint. He is very shy and not very communicative. He would need help with building his social skills and confidence.

I | Talkative, outgoing, responsive, and a hands-on 1st grader. He enjoys playing baseball, video games, and has a great imagination. He is a visual learner who needs help with math.

K | Talkative, strong-willed, playful, and imaginative Kindergartener who enjoys reading, learning, soccer, and basketball. One of his strengths is his creativity.  He is very smart but has a hard time focusing and staying on task.

X | Talkative, playful, imaginative, and emotional Kindergartener who enjoys math, numbers, sports and music. His strength is in counting and math. He can be slightly unfocused, and may have speech problems. He needs help academically in reading and recognizing letters.

G | Talkative, strong-willed, playful, competitive, and energetic 1st grader. He enjoys high energy activities such as sports, biking, swimming and tumbling around. He tends to be very hyper. He needs help with reading and writing.

N | Very active, talkative ,and playful Kindergartener who enjoys playing outside and running. He needs help with recognizing the alphabet. 

A | Talkative, playful and respectful student who loves Black Panther. [We’re working on gathering more information to help match!]

Become a Mentor

If you, or someone you know, are interested in spending one hour a week with one these amazing kids, please contact karaujo@affinitymentoring.org or apply online at https://affinitymentoring.org/mentors/.

Learn about our latest COVID-19 updates and how we are planning to keep students, mentors, and families safe here.

BECOME A MENTOR



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


Affinity Named Finalist for Nonprofit of the Year

The Grand Rapids Chamber announced earlier this week that Affinity Mentoring is a finalist for Nonprofit of Year for the 2019 EPIC Awards.

The EPIC Awards (Entrepreneurial, Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative) recognize businesses or individuals who are leading the way in growth and innovation, strengthening our business community, enabling collaboration and connections, and accomplishing incredible endeavors with their focus on the future.

Winners will be announced at the event on October 30, 2019. Get Tickets.

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: 20 Monroe Live 11 Ottawa Ave NW Grand Rapids, MI 49503