CityLife Church Melbourne Australia

With the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, CityLife Community Care (CLCC) had to adapt the way we ran Kids Hope, an early intervention, school-based mentoring program for children experiencing vulnerability. We sent the mentored children presents and blessed some families with Christmas hampers, Mother’s days gifts etc. This Easter, we blessed them with Easter goodies.

We were able to resume our regular Kids Hope program in the middle of the first term of 2022. It is so encouraging that in a short period of time, the mentors are already having a huge impact on the mentored children. One child is progressing so well with the mentor, that his teacher actually brought the Daily Progress Report (a form the mentors have to complete each time they meet with their child) to the parent-teacher Interview. Another child was so proud of having a mentor, he couldn’t stop raving about their time together and what they had planned to do next! The Chaplain mentioned that he likes his mentor so much, he announced proudly to her that he now has someone coming to see him every week.

These vulnerable children face significant challenges at home. Just spending time with them, a warm smile, playing games, sport, cooking, all leave them feeling proud, special, valued, and hopeful. The transformation is so significant that the kids have started to encourage their mentors when they lose in games! The school principal sent CLCC the following letter : “I would like to thank you for your kind and generous donation of Christmas Hampers and gifts for the families... what might seem to be a small act of kindness can mean the world to a family struggling with DV, the death of loved one, financial hardship or mental illness. To know that they are remembered and thought of, that someone cares for them, can make a huge impact.”

Posted in June 2022

Power of One-on-one Mentoring