Cornerstone Church invests in kids in our communities in various ways. Kids Hope USA started in West Michigan, and is now a national program that pairs trusted, reliable, caring adults from one church with elementary aged, at-risk kids of one school. Mentors give one hour, once a week, for one school year and build a relationship with a student.
Cornerstone will mentor and pray for kids, through Kids Hope USA at Bowen Elementary in Kentwood and at Vanguard Charter Academy in Wyoming. (We are also hopeful that we may be able to start mentoring at Campus Elementary School in Grand Rapids too, but we need to have a Director in place to do so).
Mentors will have an online background check through Cornerstone and the school, meet with the Kids Hope USA Director, and receive video-based training to equip them to be a mentor. Mentors will also receive on-going encouragement and be able to ask questions of the Cornerstone Volunteer who is the Kids Hope USA Director.
The Need:
At-risk students live at-risk lives, often times with no boundaries or ones that make no sense at all. They long for direction, structure and other life basics. There are at-risk children in every school, in every community. Let’s help change that reality together, by showing up consistently, and caring deeply about the child.
Looking for:
- Mentors (male and female) who will give one hour, once a week, to meet with one student at the school, during school hours.
- Prayer Partners who will commit to pray for the mentor/mentee meeting each week. Prayer can happen from anywhere. Prayer partners do not have to be on-site at the school.
Mentors Qualifications:
-Love Children
-Be ready to listen
-Have your own transportation
-Maintain confidentiality
-Be a regular attendee of our church
-Be there for only one child
-Believe in your child
-Be at least 16 years of age
-Clear a background check
Training Provided
Time Commitment:
-Be faithful – one hour each week during the school year
-Mentor visits the student during the school day
Prayer Partners Qualifications:
-Believe that prayer has the power to change things
-Be faithful
Responsibility:
-Make a commitment to faithfully pray for a Kids Hope USA Mentor and child that he/she is assigned
-Contact the mentor on a regular basis to get a progress report on the child
Time Commitment:
Prayer is the foundation of all we do, so we ask that you pray for your mentor and child on the day that mentoring happens as well as other times throughout the week.
Laurie Hoyt - Cornerstone Kids Hope USA Volunteer for Bowen Elementary (Kentwood)
Cara Piper - Cornerstone Kids Hope USA Volunteer for Campus Elementary (GRPS)
Tami Melpolder - Cornerstone Kids Hope USA Volunteer for Vanguard Charter Academy (Wyoming)