Written by Kara Nguyen, Kids Hope USA Director of Development and Kari McLennan, Kids Hope USA Program Support Specialist For 17 years, Mr. Gary has been a Kids Hope USA mentor through his local church. He’s invested countless hours into the lives of kids in his community, and when the opportunity came to start with […]
Committing to Friendship Read More »
Dr. Emilie DeYoung, Winning at Home, Inc. It’s no secret that this past year has ushered in significant changes for folks around the world. Not one area of the globe has been immune to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, many of us have developed new understandings of words like ‘lock down,’ ‘Zoom,’ ‘virtual learning,’ or ‘quarantine.’
Standing Together to Make a Difference Read More »
Guest Post by Karen Mulder As a Kids Hope USA mentor, you understand this fundamental truth: your student, like all human beings, wants to be known and valued. And that’s why mentoring is so powerful—it shows others that we value them by spending time with them. However, during this time of social distancing, you may
How to Connect with Kids from a Safe Social Distance Read More »
Christmas reminds us that gifts come in all shapes and sizes, and the monetary value or usefulness of a gift is far less meaningful than the intent, especially when given by a child. Chase was a happy kid and he loved spending time with his mentor, Ken. He was open to doing his schoolwork, playing
Jan and Evelyn have walked together on an unexpected journey of friendship for more than 7 years! They met when Evelyn was a 4th grader at Jane Addams Elementary in Palatine, Illinois. At that time, Evelyn was having a tough year in school and really needed some encouragement. She was a very quiet girl but each week, Jan
Into a Brighter Future Read More »
Jacob & Skylar-Jay became friends three years ago; Skylar-Jay was starting kindergarten and Jacob was leaning into a pull from God to serve as a Kids Hope USA mentor through his church, College Wesleyan. Little did they know that three years later, they would still be great friends! Skylar-Jay was referred to Kids Hope USA
You’ve Got a Friend in Me Read More »
“I can’t read! You know that, Kara.” my 1st grade friend shared with me. “I know you can do it – I believe in you. Let’s do it together,” I replied. That was pretty typical for our conversations those first few weeks. Continually encouraging my new friend that I believed in her, and if we worked
Wednesdays Are My Favorite Read More »
“A person can always make time to make a difference.” That’s what Roger DeFeyter said 25 years ago when he met his first Kids Hope USA student at Pine Creek Elementary School. Dean was 7 years old, and after just 20 minutes of getting to know each other, he and Roger began to form a bond that would last for several
Making Time to Make a Difference Read More »
By Virgil Gulker (09/18/2020) We all have heroes. My heroes? The thousands of KHUSA volunteers who have accepted a higher call to make a difference in the life of a child. Volunteers like Roger DeFeyter, a street saint who has been part of a child’s life since the very start of KHUSA. 25 years! Over
Kids Hope USA Volunteers Are My Heroes Read More »
Greetings, KHUSA Friends! As you prepare to launch into a new school year with a fair degree of uncertainty, I simply want to take a moment to encourage you. I understand that many of you are transitioning from in person relationships to ‘virtual’ platforms or ‘pen pal’ arrangements, and while this might be discouraging or
Promoting Resiliency During Uncertain Times Read More »
