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Pictured from left to right:Sharon Bates, Samantha Shepard, Rev. Kevin Lowe, Julie Anderson, Linda Millard, Jill Davidson, Mark Millard. Not Pictured: John Ware and Mark Anderson
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Trust: n. assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.
"Trust" is one of those catchwords. We hear it so frequently, don't we? The word "trust" is everywhere … on TV, in relationship advice, splashed in bright, attention-grabbing text on billboards. So many different companies, from toothpaste manufacturers to auto insurance providers, assure us we can "trust" their gadgets, their whistles.
Sometimes, though it can be hard to know who to trust.
The word "trust"—just like the words "community," "love," and "hope"—should be rich and rife with meaning. Unfortunately, we sometimes find words like this devoid of significance, especially if we have been betrayed ourselves, or lost hope that the world contains any good for us.
Many of the homeless seniors and families who come to the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative for help are not sure whom they can turn to, whom they can trust. They are wary, unsure that anyone could help them, unsure that they can rely on anyone. But thanks to dedicated mentors in our faith community, these formerly homeless families, who never thought they would trust again, are now doing so. Time and time again in interviews, mentors through the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative highlight the reward and fulfillment they experience as they earn their mentees' trust.
How is trust built? Natasha Curry, mentored by a dedicated team at Salvation Army New Heights Church, knew she could trust her mentors because they were honest with her about their own struggles. Initially, Natasha was nervous about budgeting. She didn't know if she could do it. But after she met mentor team members at a local coffee shop, and they shared their own difficulties with money matters, revealing to her that they had not always done things perfectly themselves, Natasha realized that her mentors were human--Just like her! If they could achieve self-sufficiency, despite their weaknesses, so could she, if she put her mind to it. "Isn't it amazing how we are different, but the same?" she said at that meeting—meaning that her story was, in some ways, markedly different from her mentors', but that ultimately, mentors and mentees alike were made of the same stuff. Natasha knew she could trust her mentors because they were honest with her and willing to connect with her. This trust in turn gave her confidence.
Since her mentorship began, Natasha has reached out to her mentor team and her community in new and exciting ways. "Despite all the changes, she is beginning to get more sleep, and her attitude towards her children has become less stressed," mentor Sandra Hammond says. "She has started to become part of the local community by registering her daughter in school, visiting with neighbors, and playing at McDonald’s with a friend and her child."
"Natasha is quite motivated," Sandra continues. "She is really excited about her future. She is still marveling at how her life has changed. And so are we."
Sandra Hammond, Elizabeth Wright and their co-mentors at Salvation Army New Heights Church mentor two families through the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative. Besides providing material assistance and helping connect their families to needed resources, the New Heights team strives to earn the trust of their mentees by showing honesty.
How remarkable! People striving to pull themselves out of homelessness and poverty feel like they can count on someone; and, conversely, feel affirmed that they themselves are worthy of trust, too.
Thank you, Salvation Army New Heights Church, for going above and beyond in your mentorship. And thank you Mayor Hickenlooper for your vision for Family and Senior Homeless Initiative, a faith community challenge where needy families are not just given material assistance, but can connect with others and experience that meaningful, bridge-building and life-changing wonder: trust. |
