One Sunday in church, I got a God “nudge” when I heard the coordinator for KIDS HOPE USA talk about changing a child’s life by volunteering to mentor one child, one day a week, for one hour.  It seemed like a very small commitment with big rewards.

The principal of the neighborhood grade school had contacted our church for volunteer mentors for the program.  I felt compelled to find out more about KIDS HOPE USA because this school was no ordinary school.  Rather, it was my grade school that I attended in this very same neighborhood 50 some years ago. 

One child, one hour, one church, one school

KIDS HOPE USA started in 1995 as a school-based mentoring organization. Many U.S. children are at-risk due to the breakdown of the family unit, poverty and crime.  Many churches want to reach out and love at-risk children, but don’t know how.

That’s where KIDS HOPE USA comes in. Churches getting involved with KIDS HOPE USA give hope to children in public elementary schools through a relationship with a caring church member.  Each adult-child mentoring relationship is wrapped in prayer by a behind-the scenes prayer partner from a participating church. KIDS HOPE USA believes every child matters and by building relationships and being faithful through prayer and participation, children will know they are loved. 

There are currently 31 different states with KIDS HOPE USA programs. School staff members identify children who would benefit from being mentored by a volunteer from a partnering church. The child’s parent needs to grant permission to let their child participate in the program. The mentors complete all forms and background checks, go through training and are matched with a child.  The mentoring process can then begin.

A very special first grade girl

Although I was apprehensive, nervous, and wondering if I was up to the task, I found no good reason not to respond to God’s “nudge” and move forward with this. I was assigned a 1st grade girl named Rayne.

I first met with Rayne in February, on one chilly Thursday afternoon. After signing in at the school office, the secretary called Rayne to the desk, saying, “Her KIDS HOPE Mentor is here.”

I turned and saw a flash rounding the corner.  A girl appeared like a little sprite, dressed in a pink skirt and sparkly top with bright fuchsia leggings and worn-out shoes. Her hair was a like a fuzzy brown cloud about her face. She smiled, running toward me to give me a hug.  “I’m Rayne!” she announced.  I was overwhelmed and I felt like I was back in the 1st grade, meeting a new little girlfriend for the first time. 

We found a quiet room and started our hour’s activities of getting to know each other by writing and illustrating a book called All About Me.  We shared about our families and talked about our cats.  We drew pictures of flowers and read a book.  She told me a sad but sweet story about being teased by a boy about her name. He’d chanted, “Rayne, Rayne go away, come again another day.” That hurt her feelings because, as she said, “My name is spelled differently than that kind of rain!”  I told her we had a lot in common because my name is also hard for people to spell and pronounce. We both wrote our names out and shared how much they were alike.

We ended our hour with playing Jenga. I recognized she liked to play to win, even if she bent the rules to do it.  She giggled hysterically because I couldn’t seem to figure out how to pull out the Jenga blocks without the whole tower falling down.   

Going from mentor to friend

Rayne and I continued to meet nearly every week until the end of the school term.  I got teary-eyed the last time we met when she said she might move away next year. I have since heard that it’s very common for the children in KIDS HOPE to come from families that are constantly on the move, due to their difficult circumstances. This fact alone affirms the need for faithful mentors and prayer partners. 

My hope is to see Rayne again, but if I don’t, I’ll always remember that one Thursday when she invited me to her birthday party. She said, “You’re my friend.” She was my friend too.

What is God nudging you to do today that you are fearful about?

Royann Bold has lived in North Dakota her whole life and is a prairie girl at heart. She and her husband are empty nesters, having seen their three sons take flight to three different states. She also recently retired from the 8 to 5 grind, and is awash in pursuing her interests of writing, reading, volunteering and lifelong learning. She thoroughly is enjoying her free time to participate in Bible and book studies. Read more articles by Royann.