Changing lives through mentoring

FedEx is a longtime supporter of the National CARES Mentoring Movement, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of African-American children born in poverty.  With more than 140,000 mentors and local CARES Affiliate Leaders across 58 U.S. cities – the organization is creating mentoring relationships that are positively impacting the lives of thousands of children.  Read about one such relationship here (last names withheld for privacy).

The statistics are daunting: according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, 29 percent of Black children live in poverty, a number higher than any other ethnic group. Black children are most likely to be living in “deep poverty,” defined as a family of four subsisting on half of the federal poverty limit, approximately $12,429 per year.

National CARES Mentoring Movement (@CARES_Mentoring) founded by Susan L. Taylor, Editor-in-Chief Emerita of Essence Magazine works to galvanize the communities, instilling hope, critical thinking skills, racial pride and a love for learning and wellness in mind, body and spirit in every participant.

Participants like Marchae, who was hesitant about participating in the programs when she began. A senior in high school, she has a lot going on—her family dynamic is changing, she’s trying to navigate college decisions, schoolwork just keeps getting more challenging, and her part-time job keeps demanding more of her energy. Sometimes it’s all too much, and when things get that way, the teenager calls her mentor, Simone. Marchae knows she can call Simone when she’s in trouble or just needs someone willing to listen to her side of the story.

When teens like Marchae reach adulthood, they have all of the tools they need to become a mentor to another youth in need of guidance. The organization’s pipeline program appears to be working: Marchae is already well on her way to becoming a mentor. As she walks the hallways of her high school, she encourages freshmen she encounters, and she often gives her younger sister the same words of wisdom Simone gave her: don’t make excuses. Marchae will graduate in 2020. She knows Simone will be in the auditorium that day, cheering her on.

For more information about the National CARES Mentoring Movement click caresmentoring.org

****Submitted by National CARES Mentoring Movement; adapted from an article written by Latria Graham