"She is focused on what she needs to do.  She is focused on taking care of the kids," Dianne says excitedly. Dianne is speaking about her friend and mentee, Evelyn, who has made great strides since beginning the mentorship journey.  Dianne Cook, Lola Morris, and Raelene and Thomas Gilbert from Now Faith Church have served as guides to Evelyn through the twists and turns of her journey from homelessness to stability. Evelyn has found an apartment, secured furniture, and begun saving regularly and sticking to her budget. "She is real good about saving," Dianne says."She knows she doesn't have a lot to work with." With mentors' help, Evelyn has also found healthy resources in the library, the recreation center, and local after-school programs for her five young children. Evelyn's future looks bright!

This month, Family and Senior Homeless Initiative sat down with mentor Dianne to ask about her mentoring experience. Dianne currently serves as a community liaison at the Now Faith church and with Denver Public Schools as well. In her volunteer and professional life, Dianne's worked with a lot of struggling and homeless families. She has lots of insights to share about the highs, lows and ultimate rewards of mentorship.

FSHI:  Dianne, what is the most important thing for a mentor to keep in mind?

The way you approach the family is the way that family will respond. You have to listen and take the time to get to know who you are working with. You have to build a family partnership. You might encounter a person who is argumentative and doesn't want to listen. In that case, you have to be willing to calm them down. When a person sees you are willing to help, they will calm down. 

FSHI: Why is building trust so important in the mentorship process?

Once the mentees get to know you and they trust you, they are more inclined to do what you ask them to do and what they need to do. You have to get to know each other. You have to sit down with them. There is no going around that. They will not trust you if it is a one-time thing. If you work with them, get to know them over a period of time, it will work out well.

FSHI: What makes mentorship a valuable endeavor?  Why is it an important thing to get involved in?

If families do not have the resources and the know-how to survive, they are more at risk of losing their kids, suicide, or connecting with the wrong people. They start doing stuff that they shouldn't, and parents have to survive for their kids. It's very important to reach out to the families to let them know resources are available, and how to use these resources.

FSHI: Who should consider mentorship?                                                                                                

Each mentor has something to bring to the table. For example, on my mentor team, I'm bold and straight to the point. Raelene is more calm, and can talk with kids on a kids' level. She works with a young women's program. Her husband deals with young people and he's a youth pastor. Lola is an elder and has a prison ministry, so she was able to talk to Evelyn about what it's like to have a partner locked up in prison, what to expect, why to stay focused.  She could help Evelyn open up to trust God and be strong. 

FSHI: What prevents people from reaching out through mentorship?

People are afraid of others' situations and struggles. You have to know within yourself what is right as you sit down with them. You have to have a heart and a willngness to want to help people. You have the upper hand if you do what is right, and you'll always come out ahead.  People are people and once a family knows you have the resources they need to help themselves, they will open up to you. You don't want to turn your back on people in times of need if you have the answers they need to survive. God will bless both you and them!

The Family and Senior Homeless Initiative thanks everyone from the Now Faith Church, as well as the hundreds of mentors making a tangible difference in the lives of needy, discouraged and struggling families in our community. Thanks, Dianne, for serving your community for so long and in so many capacities. Thanks also for your wise insights about friendship, mentorship, trust, and reaching out! 

By The Numbers

September 13, 2005 - July 31, 2009
Number of move-ins completed	580
Number of families/seniors matched and waiting to move into housing	12
Number of congregations involved	250
Number of mentor teams waiting to be matched	7