Mill City Mentors (MCM)
MJU
We have been working with Ed Banks from Mill City Mentors since April of this year. We had a case open with the Department of Child and Family Services, and our case worker had suggested Mill City Mentors to us after we had asked about any resources for a Big Brother/Big Sister program in the area. We have an 8-year-old son, Luke, that is an only child, so he doesn’t have any siblings as an outlet to express emotions when he needs it. With the stay at home advisory in place the past few months, it was even harder to help him find someone he could talk to other than us. He instantly clicked with Ed after the first time talking to him which we as parents were surprised with because he is usually very shy when he first meets someone. He was so more than ecstatic to learn he had someone he could play Minecraft with.
Since we started the mentoring sessions, Luke is ALWAYS looking forward to hanging out with Ed. Ed has been so cooperative and accommodating with scheduling, and we can’t thank him enough for adapting to these virtual zoom meets due to everything going on with COVID. Luke was playing Minecraft next to me the other night and showed me the house he was building for Ed in his Minecraft world. He is really looking forward to when stay at home advisory is lifted, so they can do more activities together. We as a family truly have loved having Ed and Mill City Mentors in our lives the past few months. We really look forward to continuing this relationship with Ed and the program and would be more than open to let anyone curious about it know about our experience.
Big Brother Sees Little Brother Off to College
Fifth grade became a life-changing time for Nate – that’s when he and Tim Holden formed a supportive and caring relationship through our Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Previously, Nate had lacked a male role model in his life and had few resources to experience extra curricular activities. Their partnership and friendships changed all that as they spent quality time together worked through the many struggles Nate faced. Tim helped Nate with school work and science projects, took him to his first baseball game and first amusement park, and many other fun activities. Tim also taught Nate the value of hard work, finding him jobs where he could earn money. Together, they gave back to their community through volunteering. Tim showed Nate that with perseverance and hard work, Nate’s future was limitless. In the fall of 2011, Tim saw Nate off to Fitchburg State, where he is thriving. They still schedule time for each other and have truly become “brothers.” Says Nate, “Big Brothers Big Sisters has found me a great mentor that I can look up to and count on as being my best friend that I will have in my life forever. My Best Friend, My Mentor, My Big Brother.”
