"Just being able to mentor someone is awesome; I love it!" lead FSHI mentor Patrice says. "Being in this program can teach you a lot about others and yourself!"

Patrice Martin is making her mark on the community one family at a time. A mentor for the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative (FSHI) since October 2007, Patrice and her Zion Temple Pentecostal Apostolic Church team have already helped lead six needy families and seniors into a life of self-sufficiency.

“I feel like God has blessed me so much, and I wanted to go back out into the community and give back,” Patrice explains. “I love helping people; I feel like that’s my purpose in life.”

Though Patrice officially began her journey as a mentor after retiring as an accountant for the Department of Defense, her heart for the less fortunate began at an early age. The now 51-year-old fondly remembers the giving nature of her mother, a former social worker, and says those memories moved her to follow in her footsteps.

“My mom was always giving and doing things for people,” Patrice says fondly. “All of that came into my heart, and I wanted to carry on that service in memory of her.”

Together with fellow mentor Silvia Thornton, Patrice recently lent a hand to 34-year-old Dhamana, a single mother of one in need of housing and financial assistance. Though Dhamana held a steady job with Denver’s probation department, her misguided spending habits led her to rely on family members for shelter. Thankfully, after receiving first month’s rent and deposit for housing, Dhamana is on the road to stability.

“Dhamana is a very smart young lady and was great to mentor,” Patrice recalls. “She lost her home after not managing her money right, and thought the program was the right thing to do for her and her daughter.”

Once acquainted with their mentee, Patrice and Silvia wasted no time stressing the importance of budgeting, and quickly dove into FSHI’s financial planning handbook. By showing Dhamana creative ways to make her money stretch, she was soon able to set up a savings account.

“We would show Dhamana things like taking the money she would spend eating out once and using it to make several meals at home,” Patrice says.  “By breaking down her budget, she was able to put the extra money she saved into a savings account.”

Patrice and Silvia also offered Dhamana gentle advice on shifting her parental priorities. Dhamana learned how being financially responsible and independent, and how making smart relationship choices, would help her raise a successful daughter.

“As a mentor, I’m here to listen and give suggestions, not judge anyone,” Patrice explains. “Dhamana was just having fun and not preparing for her daughter, but she’s really gotten on track.”

With Dhamana now working toward an advanced degree in Criminal Justice, Patrice and her team have turned their sights to mentoring yet another family. She credits her FSHI success to being available and honest with her mentees, as well as her ability to learn from those she helps.

“Everyone in this program has a story, and being a mentor makes me stop and analyze my own life,” Patrice says. “I love helping these families turn negative situations into something positive, and I try my best to help them stay on track!”