“Could you help me find a mentor for my son Miles?” Jane asked. She had heard about Kids Hope USA from a friend whose son had a mentor.
Miles is a quiet, fifth-grade boy, and his mom hoped that having a mentor who was committed to their friendship would help his self-confidence. A few weeks later, Miles met Steve, a Kids Hope USA mentor through Fellowship Bible Church. Due to COVID-19 and the in-person restrictions at Miles’ school, their friendship began over 30-minute Zoom meetings on Wednesday afternoons. Steve recalls that Miles was quiet during that first meeting and kept his answers to Steve’s questions short. It was a little hard to tell if Miles was enjoying their conversations or not.
One week, at the end of their session, Miles asked, “Can we meet again tomorrow?” Snow had fallen in Little Rock and school was cancelled; Steve was stuck at home too, so they thought, “why not?” With his mom’s permission, Miles and Steve connected again and continued building on their budding friendship.
Well into second semester, Miles and Steve are thoroughly enjoying their Wednesday meetings. Together they’re reading a book about Frederick Douglass and Miles is much more talkative. He hears Steve reading with expression and he’s starting to do the same.
A few weeks ago, Steve pointed out that since they are meeting virtually, they can go anywhere on adventures together. So, they took a virtual trip to the San Diego Zoo. The Zoo has live webcams that allow viewers to select animals and watch them just as they would in the zoo! Steve shared his screen and Miles picked the animals, just like a real trip to the zoo – but quieter and without the crowds!
Steve and Miles are having a ball and are hoping to meet in person soon. He can’t wait to see how Miles continues to learn and grow. They are both grateful for their new mentoring friendship through Kids Hope USA.