Larry Heron, mentor from Deliverance Jesus Is Coming Church, says that the most rewarding part of mentorship is, "encouraging hearts." What does this phrase mean, exactly? Larry has learned that families battling homelessness need to believe that they truly have it in them to become self-sufficient. Change won't happen unless the homeless really have faith that new life is in their reach.
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Dedicated mentors from Deliverance Jesus Is Coming Church |
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How can mentors help homeless families and seniors believe in themselves? Larry feels that this can be done by honestly affirming the mentees' potential. And part of this is making families feel comfortable so that you can really get to know them. The more families trust their mentors, the more mentors can discover real needs. Larry shares, "We can help by being more friendly, by listening. They [the homeless] shouldn't feel like there is a hierarchy. It is hard for people to ask for help directly. In just listening, you discover needs indirectly, through friendship."
He also says that mentors who want to encourage the homeless have to demonstrate patience. In Larry's mentorship experience, some families make quick progress. Others take longer to reach their goals. He believes that, in either case, mentors should let families know that, "they can talk to us, be honest with us, and we can let them know it's okay if they are moving at this pace or that pace. They should do what they need to do so that they can maintain consistency, so that they don't have to worry about being homeless again. We can help them keep that focus."
Mentors can also encourage families and seniors to succeed by helping them with everyday tasks. We all know that just having a friend alongside you during stressful times makes all the difference, and for many families and seniors coming out of homelessness, finding furniture or a home is nerve-wracking. The Deliverance Jesus Is Coming mentor team supported their mentee family by standing next to them as they signed their lease. The family is renting now, but with the encouragement of their mentors, they are hoping to buy as soon as they have enough saved up. The Deliverance Jesus is Coming team also helped their mentees move in to their new home and helped them find furniture. Larry says of the family's progress, "At the beginning, they were living in a transitional housing facility. A family of seven in two rooms! Now, they have space. They are finding consistency. They feel like a regular family now. Now they see what they need to do and how they need to do it. They have a support system they didn't have before. Now they have someone they can call. Not just us, but the Denver Rescue Mission."
The mentor team was able to help the husband of the family find regular work as a janitor. Larry mentions that some of the people they've mentored in the past have had blights on their records, which makes finding work a very difficult task. So the mentor team has helped these people start their own janitorial businesses.
Not only this, the Deliverance Jesus Is Coming mentor team is encouraging the mother to finish her degree in culinary arts. They have also been able to suggest family-oriented activities, like cookouts and game-nights, to help the children stay active and to help the family grow stronger and closer.
When asked what he would say to people considering becoming mentors, Larry says, "I would tell them that they have to have much compassion and concern. People are in different situations … some of their hardship is beyond their control. You have to be compassionate so you can understand them, how they are feeling and how they got there. Maybe you could handle their difficult situation, but they can't. Don't think about how you would do it, think about how they would do it given their life stories." In other words, it's only by reaching out, by stepping outside yourself to see people for what they are, that you can genuinely encourage people and earn their trust.
In the past year, Larry and his mentor team have helped five families out of homelessness and instability. More than helping families materially, however, this mentor team, like so many of the wonderful congregations around the city of Denver, has encouraged hearts, helping families see that self-sufficiency is possible.
It's truly remarkable! All around the city of Denver, mentor teams from diverse faith congregations and community groups are encouraging families and seniors to pursue more stable lives. This is what makes the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative – a partnership between the City of Denver, the Denver Rescue Mission, and the faith community – so special. To those being mentored, the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative is more than a "program." It's a caring relationship—it's a helping hand. It's you!—a kind face looking beyond discouraging circumstances to see a person with the potential to live life richly and responsibly. Thank you mentors for all you are doing to "encourage the hearts" of the poor, needy and discouraged in your community. |
