Mentor Spotlight: Chris Evola
Show and tell is a quintessential elementary school experience that can cause a number of emotional reactions: from panic and anxiety when you have nothing interesting to show and tell about, to off-the-charts excitement when you have something many of your classmates may be envious of.
While envy isn’t the teacher’s goal in such an exercise, there were no doubt some of Damian’s classmates who were just a little bit envious of a piece of clothing that he took in to school one morning.
To some, it was just a colorful sporty shirt with with red, black and white colors. But to those who care at all about basketball, what Damian showed and told will forever live in his memory.
But it was a moment, like many others over the years, that would never have happened if Chris hadn’t stepped up and gotten in touch with Faithful Friends after hearing about the church-based program that matches guys like him with children living close by who could use a committed friend. Consistency is a big component of our core values and something we aim to foster in every one of our mentors. Showing up again and again, building memories over the weeks, months and years. That’s exactly what Chris and Damian have been doing.
Before landing permanently in Portland, Chris bounced around a bit between San Diego and Phoenix. He works with a family-owned HVAC distributor covering the west coast. He first learned about Faithful Friends at Bridgetown Church 5 or 6 years ago. He and Damian first started meeting up in early 2019 and initially their shared interests focused on basketball: the Portland Trailblazers and his favorite player Damian Lillard. As their friendship grew and years went by, they’d also learn to connect over games, eating out, listening to music, or watching movies together.
Chris represents dozens of our mentors who are showing up consistently, in the good times and the not-so-good, knowing that it really does matter. But he may be the only mentor who managed to get his mentee a signed Damian Lillard jersey at a home game.
