“My mentor has been a great gift to me, helping me with my case plan for DFCS. She has become a great friend and a light in my life with the words of God to help me go forward. She is there for me, never giving up on me, and helps me to believe in myself and my ability to succeed. I could never put into words how much she means to me and my children or how she has changed my life. She has helped me with so many things, taking me places, helping me find a new home, and most of all praying for me and my children.”

---Sarah (not her real name)

“My mentor has prayed with me and given me encouragement. I knew I could call her, and that meant so much to me. On top of it all, she has become a good friend. In the whole system, she has been the most approachable person to talk with about anything, and she gave me hope that I could fulfill my goals. She helped me realize that things weren’t hopeless, that yes, I was in a bad situation, but that by turning to God, He could help me make it a better situation. It was so important to me that I had a mature Christian mentor to turn to during this most difficult time of my life.

---Julie (not her real name)

“I came to a point where I truly believed I was worthless. I’d heard negative words from many people around me who also told me I was worthless. I was addicted to alcohol and my children were in foster care. I really believed they were better off without me. My mentor came into my life and suddenly I had a friend like I’d never had before. She began to pull things out of me that I’d forgotten were there. For example, she began to show me I was a good mother and that I wasn’t worthless. I started to see myself differently. I began to see positive aspects of myself that I knew were there, but that I’d buried under piles of hurt, addiction, and anger. I found an inner strength. My mentor helped me see myself as God sees me. What is even more amazing is that this person, who was a complete stranger, really cared about me! My mentor never gave up on me, never judged me, but kept on believing. Having a mentor has been a life-changing experience.”

---Anne (not her real name)

“Just having a mentor who believes in you helps you to believe in yourself. Just a word of encouragement and the knowledge that there is not judgment or criticism, but just genuine support, makes so much difference in your outlook. Life-changing experiences don’t happen overnight, so having someone who commits to hanging in there for as long as it takes gives you amazing hope—the hope that you can make it.”

---Debbie (not her real name)