Year of mentor activities for 50 vulnerable youth

As one mentor reports in the following story, sometimes a Friend listens in ways that others do not:

I went to visit my 2^nd grader Chris at school on our scheduled weekly school visit, but he wasn’t there. His teacher told me that he wasn’t at school yesterday either and she hoped he was okay. I asked her for work that he could do at home. I called mom and left a message that I was dropping work off and I headed to his apartment.

When I got there, Chris was happy to see me, but surprised that I was there. I reminded him that today was the day that I was to visit him in class, and I told him that I had work that he could do from home. He told me that he wasn’t sick, and that he wasn’t going to school anymore. His mom came out and said that she couldn’t get him to school yesterday or today because he refused, and would get enraged when she tried to get him to get dressed and get to the bus. I offered to give him a ride if he wanted to go now. Mom demanded that Chris go to school and he ran. We searched for him around the neighborhood and found him. He cried, screamed, and broke things.

I’m not his mom, or his teacher. I’m his Friend.

As his Friend, I listened. He told me what a waste of time school was, and what monsters his teachers were. Mom let me take him to the park. I fed him and talked to him about why school was important to me. He calmed down. I warmed him up to the idea of me sitting with him in class that day. We went to school.

Shortly after that day, we got Chris tested for an Individualized Education Plan, and he now receives special learning support a few times a week in school. I signed him up for tutoring and got him 30 books. We read and play board games together and we visit OMSI regularly. He is now the most improved kid in class, and his confidence is growing. He has said recently that he “Loves” school. He has a long way to go, but has come a long way since that very emotional “Sick Day.” 

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