“It's not that I'm so smart. It's just that I stay with problems longer.” ~Albert Einstein
Ask anyone who has ever run a marathon, climbed a mountain or raised a child: life’s most meaningful ventures involve hard work.
Mentoring is much the same. Hard work and perseverance are essential. This month, David Daubers of Atonement Lutheran Church spoke to Family and Senior Homeless Initiative about the commitment it takes to mentor people who are homeless.
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Mentors from left to right: Carol, Marianne, Siv, Beth, Linda and Dave Daubers |
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Mentor David relates a story about delivering furniture to their mentee mom, Brenda. For weeks, the Atonement Lutheran team diligently collected furniture and other household items for her. When they finally tried to deliver the donations, they struggled to move the furniture into the building. “The pieces of furniture we brought were big and heavy, it was dark and crowded with cars, and it was raining outside. We’re unloading things, and we’re soaked,” David says. He adds, “But [in the end], she gets the things she needs.”
David uses this anecdote to make a point: mentoring can be challenging before it becomes rewarding. When unforeseen difficulties arise, the mentoring process requires flexibility and endurance.
Dave believes that in this case, complications have arisen not from lack of motivation, but from difficulties in Brenda’s situation. At twenty-two years of age, Brenda herself is highly motivated, showing eagerness and a willingness to learn. David says that she often takes initiative and calls team members with questions. He admires Brenda’s courage, strong work ethic and excellent parenting of her two young children, even in the face of adversity. “She had nobody at all to turn to,” David says. Today, thanks to the collaboration between Brenda and the mentor team, she “has a place to go home to,” and the basics necessary for her to start life afresh.
“The people we help [like Brenda] are great people,” David adds, “But they are down and out.” Helping someone put her life together is a process. “You don’t walk into this saying you’re going to feel good after the first or second meeting. [Mentorship] is not just gathering up coats from your closet … it’s not feeling good immediately. You’re involved. You deliver the coats and keep on helping. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
The Atonement Lutheran team is working hard to address some of Brenda’s pressing needs. Right now, the mentors are trying to help Brenda find a car. Since she works six or seven days a week, and has to drop off and pick up children from both school and daycare, a vehicle is truly a necessity. The team is helping her research different agencies and loans. David is hopeful that Brenda will be able to find suitable transportation soon. After helping Brenda find a car, the mentor team’s next priority is to help her complete her budget.
The to-do list can certainly seem overwhelming. But as with any significant endeavor, the potential rewards of mentorship are great. “We are in a position to give back a little bit. We [the mentor team] have been able to achieve. We work hard, and we earn what we get, but we had the opportunity to earn it. Now we can give some of that back … [through] donations, time and work. That is pretty nice to be able to do,” David says.
Thank you, Atonement Lutheran Church Team, for committing yourselves to lasting, permanent change in the lives of a family who needs you! And thank you for answering the Mayor’s call to Denver’s faith community.
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