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family connection By
Susan Grandpre
Mentors Help Trust Grow
When we hear about children in foster care, most of us want to do
something to help. Many people are not in a position to become foster or
adoptive parents, but still want to find a way to make a difference in
the lives of children. Mentoring is an avenue to become involved and
help a child in need.
A mentor is an adult who provides a child or teenager a relationship
filled with support, guidance and friendship, acting as a positive role
model. Mentors allow children to feel safe and to realize that there is
someone in their life to whom they can turn for advice, comfort and
security.
Michael is a 14-year-old who would really benefit from a relationship
with a mentor. This teenager has been in the foster care system since he
was 8 and still hopes that he will meet the right family and be adopted.
In the meantime, he needs as many positive influences in his life as
possible. Michael has experienced the insecurity of many different
foster care placements. He has also felt the heartbreak of people
letting him down. As a result, he feels unworthy of love and has trouble
trusting people.
Jennifer Albertson, from the Richmond Department of Social Services,
feels that a mentor could make a big difference in Michael’s life. In
fact, she envisions a rather uncommon situation in which more than one
person might enter Michael’s life as a mentor.
Michael is a smart boy who loves animals and has aspirations of becoming
a veterinarian. Albertson is hoping to find a mentor who possesses a
connection to a veterinary practice or a farm.
She also feels that if someone could commit to taking Michael to a
weekly church service it would help Michael. In addition, Michael loves
sports and would benefit from attending an occasional sporting event.
While Alberston’s plan may not be traditional in the sense of looking
for just one mentor, her goal is the same. She wants to find adults who
will commit to developing a relationship with Michael and invest time
with him. As a result, Michael will begin to feel worthy of love and
feel valued as a person.
According to Alberston, Michael is a “sweet, caring boy who has been
dealt a bad hand in life.” Michael needs positive, nurturing adults who
will make a real commitment to becoming a consistent and positive part
of his life. For additional information, contact Jennifer Albertson at
804-646-0373.
(please note the corrected phone number. The number printed in the March
issue was incorrect.)
Susan Grandpre earned a B.A. in English from James
Madison University and has been a freelance writer for nine years. She
lives in Richmond with her husband and three children.
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