Mentor Spotlight: Dave Bartz
When Dave Bartz, a retired lawyer, was first matched with *Lewis, it was hard to connect. Lewis was cautious about a new relationship and that made him quite reserved. Dave knew that Lewis didn’t have many positive male role models in his life, so he set out to show Lewis that he could be trusted to be there for him.
“When we were first matched, speaking was not something that Lewis did,” Dave remembers. “We weren’t having conversations. And his words weren’t articulate. The first couple of months it was like a bad date where you just agree with the person but you had no clue what they were saying.”
Over the months Lewis slowly started to open up to him as he began trusting that Dave wasn’t going anywhere. Now the two have been matched for 13 months.
“Today he will tell stories and joke with me,” Dave says. “He is comfortable here now, and he comes in the house and relaxes. That wasn’t the way it was originally. I remember how cool it felt in March when we went out and played tag for two hours with three other kids in the playground. I was exhausted. And he said ‘That was SUPER fun!’ He had never said that before. I thought that was so cool. Gosh, being a part of a kid having ‘super fun’ is about as good as it gets.”
As the friendship has grown, Dave has noticed not only that their relationship has positively impacted Lewis, but it has also had a great impact on him.
“It sounds so trite, but it is often the best hour or two of my week. Susan noticed that I would leave stressed, and then I go to Lewis and I come back and I feel lighter. I’m happier and having fun. I know I get wrapped up in a lot of adult stuff, but Lewis doesn’t think that way. Without trying to sound overly spiritual or wise, looking at the world through the eyes of a child is a preferred way to do things. There are a lot of challenges, because there’s a lot going on in that young man’s life. It’s not easy, but it still is so fun. I am so excited to see in a couple of years what [our friendship] could look like.”
Photos submitted by Dave.
