Mercy Home’s mentors—and mentees—make a difference.
It wasn’t until Robert was 40 years old that he met the unlikely individual who would have the profoundest impact on him. When this person, just 4’11” and donning an oversized Sponge Bob t-shirt walked into his life, Robert had a feeling he would be there for good.
Robert met Brian, then just 11 years old, through Mercy Home’s decades-old mentoring program, Friends First. Friends First matches adults one-on-one with at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area, providing them with positive role models and the extra support and guidance they’re missing at home.
“Anytime people ask me about my experiences mentoring at Mercy Home, they want to know how my mentee has changed since I began working with him. They don’t understand how rich an opportunity this has been for me too, and what a learning experience it has been,” says Robert of his four year friendship with Brian.
Over the course of their friendship, Robert and Brian have toured the city’s museums, cheered alongside one another at White Sox games, whiled away whole afternoons just talking over lunch and have instated a summer Saturday tradition, bicycling along the lakefront.
“I came into Brian’s life at a time when he really needed someone to look up to. He needed someone to listen to him, and definitely some time to just have fun being a kid,” Robert says.
Brian’s father had passed away when he was eight years old, and his mother, struggling to care for three children and Brian’s ailing grandmother, just couldn’t provide the support, guidance and extra care her son needed.
So, she brought him to Mercy Home, where he was matched with his very own mentor, Robert. Over the years, a true friendship has blossomed—one rooted in mutual respect, encouragement and trust.
“Brian is a good kid,” beams Robert. “He’s smart and he’s 100% kind. Watching him grow up over the last few years has been eye-opening for me, because he’s always looking for the good in people and situations. His life has been far from easy, but he keeps going every day with this giant smile on his face. How can you not admire that?”
Time spent with Robert gives Brian the opportunity to relax and open up about the issues in his life. Whether the two can be found at a baseball game or hours-in at a lunchtime conversation, Robert and Brian’s special friendship is a testament to the power of our Friends First program—and a living reminder of the difference one person can make in the life of another.
