HAVING FUN AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE PROCESS
Playing basketball and watching movies are just some of the fun things
that Bryan Franklin and his mentee like to do together. “Kids seem to
find joy in the simplest things. It is incredibly humbling to spend
time around them and to play a role in helping to encourage them as
they grow up,” stated Franklin.
Franklin and his mentee also participate in the classes that TRUE
Mentors offers together. They’ve been able to attend painting
classes, a class all about detectives and even one about Astrology.
Franklin continued, “The range of talent TRUE Mentors is able to bring
in to teach classes really helps foster the mentor/mentee
relationship.”
Franklin and his mentee talk about a wide-range of topics, mostly
about sports and movies, but also Franklin has enjoyed a more
challenging question posed by his mentee. “Once my mentee asked me if I
believe in luck and more specifically, karma. It turned out my mentee had
been thinking about how to treat other people and was wondering
if I thought that if he was nice, then other people would treat him
the same way. While I was caught off guard initially by the question,
it was inspiring to see the thought process and incredible for me to
take part in that conversation.”
“Our mission is to unearth the excellence of each child in Hoboken through
relationships.” says Susi Tully, TRUE Mentors' founder. "Bryan Franklin and his
mentee are a great example of how mentor relationships help impact
children's lives." To learn how you can impact the lives of kids in your
community visit www.TRUEMentors.org.
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TRUE Mentors Events
Kids Classes: 6 - 8 pm
The Boys & Girls Club, 123 Jefferson St
Crafts Feb 13
Ben & Jerry's Feb 19
Healthy Eating Feb 28
Cooking Mar 7
Chemistry Mar 13
Ben & Jerry's Mar 19
How A/C Works Mar 27
To volunteer at a class email:
jsproule@truementors.org
Local Events
* Hoboken Volunteers 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off and Home Brew Contest
Supporting TRUE Mentors
Sat Feb 23, 2 pm - 6 pm
Elks Lodge, 1005 Washington St.
Tickets $25 - Buy in advance
* Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival
Sun May 5, 11 am - 6 pm
Washington Street
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Mentors Corner
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Activity Ideas * Ice skating (Newport Jersey City)
* Take in a Movie
* Learn a new card game while warming up with hot chocolate
* Go on a pizza or cupcake crawl
* Visit the library
* Pick a new recipe and bake or cook something together
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Thoughts From Mentors "We all need somebody to talk to. It would be good if we talked...not just pitter-patter, but real talk. We shouldn't be so afraid, because most people really like this contact; that you show you are vulnerable makes them free to be vulnerable" - Liv Ulman
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Get to know: TRUE Mentors Needs YOU! Become a Relationship Manager
Nadine Ahmed
TRUE Mentors Relationship Manager
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Q: What is the role and responsibilities of the relationship manager?
A: The relationship manager checks in with both parents and mentors at the end of every month. The position means listening to the concerns of the mentors, and trying to get feedback from the parents. The time commitment is a total of about 60 minutes per month. Your time is scattered because parents and mentors will get back to you at different times. Besides this time, approximately 2 hours a month are needed to attend the monthly meeting. The position is important because it's the primary way we receive feedback for how the program is going. We can be alerted to small issues, such as difficulty scheduling meet up times, before they become problems.
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Get Involved
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Dear Friends,
We are very excited to enter our third year of unearthing the potential of children in Hoboken. The first two years have proven that hard work and determination can impact lives; we matched 30 children with caring adult mentors and provided over 100 classes to explore and learn.
The response from the children, parents and mentors is amazing. I ran into a Mom whose teenage daughter was matched over a year ago and she enthusiastically announced "My daughter's mentor is the best thing for her!"
Our goal in 2013 is to help 30 more parents and children have that same reaction. Won't you join us? There are so many ways to use your skills and talents to unearth the children in our community. TRUE Mentors is an all volunteer organization made up of great people like you in volunteer roles like finance, marketing and event coordination. To find out more about how to get involved please our recruiting director, Jen Johnson at jjohnson@truementors.org
We look forward to working with you!
Susi Tully
Founder, Board President
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