Mentoring is the Long Game

When you see two grown men hugging each other for a full two minutes, you know there’s gotta be a story behind that. This is the situation our program coordinator Chon found himself in at a wedding he attended recently in Vancouver.

To understand the hug, you have to go back a few decades to when the groom was just a kid going through some really hard stuff. Chon showed up, and kept showing up weekly, for 10 years! As a mentor in another program, he encouraged and strengthened the boy through formative years and he successfully finished high school, college at Univ. of Oregon, then started a career in the healthcare sector. He found love, purchased a home, and became blessed with a family. At the wedding, the groom’s family insisted Chon sit with them in joyful celebration of a life being well lived.

When staff heard this story recently, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. It is a snapshot of what Faithful Friends is accomplishing in the often mundane, consistently faithful presence, of weekly mentoring meetups. Each week trust is being built, boundaries are being pushed, memories are being made, and unconditional love is being freely shared. The rewards are slow to come, but the dividends truly priceless.

It is the long game that Rachael and Luke are engaged in as they celebrate this month in the high school graduation of their mentee, Biana, a girl who first came into their lives at 8 years of age.

She starts college in Tacoma this fall!

This summer, we need your help. Our goal is to raise $30k.

Please step up to fill a significant financial gap as we seek to sustain and grow our vision to transform generations through the power of friendship.