Share the Love
Valentine’s Day…whether you’re a fan of the holiday or not, we can probably all agree that this world could use a little more love. No matter what you’re feeling this week, we happen to know a lot of kids that could benefit from some extra love in their lives. One of our board members said it best when asked why she was here: “I’ve always felt like I just could’t do ENOUGH to help.” The thing is none of us can do it alone. One person alone is going to have an impossible time fixing any major issue within their community. But, what if we started with just one-on-one interactions? What if you committed to one hour per week for one year to make an impact on one person’s life? It may even end up making an impact in your own life…Let’s say we have ten mentors in Frankfort for the next year. That’s the beginning of something great, the start of helping ten kids have a better outlook and the start of fixing those big issues we can’t tackle alone. What if we had more than ten? You can see where we’re going with this.
Amachi is a nationally based program, specifically designed for children whose parents are incarcerated. Amachi is an African word that means, Who knows what God has brought us through this child. The program is based on “people of faith (and goodwill) mentoring children of promise.” We are asking for volunteers to commit to mentoring a child for just one hour a week for a minimum of one year. We will provide at least two hours of training and criminal background checks, as well as do home visits with both the mentor and mentee in order to make the best match possible. There are so many statistics showing the benefits of mentoring. Children with mentors are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college, they are less likely to skip school, less likely to use substances and they are less likely to experience child abuse and neglect.
You may be asking yourself, why mentor? How can I fit one more obligation into my life…into my family’s life? The answer is fairly easy. Mentor because all children deserve and need to have at least one adult in their life who is in their corner teaching them valuable, everyday life lessons, supporting them and encouraging them when life gets hard. Did you know that Kentucky’s incarceration rate is double the national average? Did you know that we lead the nation with having the most children living with relatives? Mentoring is important in all children’s lives, but when you factor in children impacted by incarceration, it gets a little more special. The urgency to connect these children with other adults who can step in and show love and one on one attention during a crucial time in their lives is substantial.
The Wanda Joyce Robinson Foundation is bringing Amachi to Frankfort and we are excited to get started! We have had multiple families reach out and request mentors for their children, their grandchildren, nieces and nephews, etc. It is important to us that we get this program up and functioning so that we can positively impact the children and families of this community.
Learn more about Amachi of Frankfort on our website. If you are interested in mentoring, please reach out to us by emailing [email protected] or fill out the form on our site to get started. We will work hard to make the best match possible to ensure that you and your mentee are able to connect and have an enjoyable experience. What are you waiting for? We all have love to give! Let’s give it.