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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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Jill Davidson describes her life as solid, secure and stable; she has worked at the same job for thirty-seven years. As someone who has been productive and self-sufficient for so long, Jill wants to use her experience to help people struggling to achieve stability, but finding themselves lost in life's myriad details. Jill's fellow congregants at Harvey Park Baptist Church share her desire to help people in need, so when the church received information about the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative – a groundbreaking partnership between the City of Denver, the Denver Rescue Mission, and faith congregations – no less than eight people volunteered to mentor a homeless mother and her baby daughter.
"One of the reasons we volunteered is because we know the Family and Senior Homeless Initiative is an established program. We knew there was training and also requirements that the [mentees] had to commit to," Jill explains.
She continues, "We just felt that this is one of the things we as Christians should do. We need to help those who are struggling."
Over the course of a month, the Harvey Park Church mentor team has met regularly with their mentee family. Jill says that at first the team simply tried to get acquainted with the young lady they were mentoring. They asked about her background, where she grew up, and tried to become familiar with her strengths, loves, and particularities. Before meeting with the mentee mom, the mentor team decided that at first, just three women from the team should meet with her. They put themselves in her shoes and guessed that seeing eight new faces all at once might prove overwhelming! "We decided …it would be better if it was just three ladies. So, that's what we did!" Jill says.
In subsequent meetings, the mentor team delved into more specific needs. "We talked about transportation to and from her job," Jill says. "We continued to go over the needs list (she had only one chair in her living room), and we stressed the importance of establishing an emergency fund. She needs some dental work done, and her eyes checked, and we talked about resources for that. We just tried to encourage her and ask how we could support her."
The road to self-sufficiency is not always smooth and easy. Recently, the mentee mom lost her job. She has enough money saved up for next month's rent, but she is still very worried about the future and providing for her young daughter. "It was very discouraging for her,” Jill says. “We met with her on Saturday, and prayed for her. We found some resources, made copies and gave them to her. One of the fellows on our team has connections with a local restaurant, and he is going to see if he can find openings for her there. We just tried to encourage her, and ask how we could support her. She really wants to be self-sufficient," Jill says.
Jill says that she loves working together with her fellow mentors because each team member's strengths work together in surprising and effective ways. "The ones who volunteered have a good, broad range of experience," she says. "One of our mentors is a retired schoolteacher, who works at (Denver Rescue Mission's) Champa House. She has a lot of one-on-one experience, and she knows how to be an encourager. There is another couple with a good financial background. Another mentor team member who graduated from Denver Rescue Mission's New Life rehabilitation program comes with a lot of spiritual, pastoral experience and understanding about what it's like to be down and out …"
The last thing Jill and the other mentor team members want to do is push anything on the young mother they are mentoring. The Harvey Park Baptist Church team understands the importance of gaining trust, of building relationships as well as giving answers. Jill says, "It's a challenge to help folks who don't come from that stable a background—to be an encourager … to be helpful, but not be pushy."
Thank you, Mayor Hickenlooper and the City of Denver for your willingness to collaborate with the faith community to serve people in need! And thank you, Harvey Park Baptist Church mentors, for using your unique gifts – experience, compassion and understanding – to make a difference in the life of someone who needs you. |
