Just One Lunch Hour a Week Can Make a Difference
Spotlight on MetroMentors’ Volunteer John Perry
When John Perry originally set out to volunteer with the MetroMentors youth mentoring program, he thought he could help make a difference by tutoring kids. The impact John has had over his five years in the program has gone far beyond homework help. “You can see it in the eyes of a child, when he comes in with a big smile, has social skills and is doing well in school.”
MetroMentors offers professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships between caring adults and elementary or middle school children. The program offers positive adult role models to improve a child’s self-esteem, social skills, academic achievement and positive life choices.
According to John, a retired village administrator and father of two, now-grown sons, “MetroMentors offers kids the opportunity to see themselves and their future in a positive way. During my career in public service (and as a parent), I was regularly reminded of the importance of youth having opportunities to grow and develop into contributing community members. “
John spends one hour a week at Edgewood Elementary School in Woodridge with his mentee who just turned 12. The child’s mother works hard and felt her son could benefit from the extra support of a male mentor in his life. Each week, John and his mentee get together at the school to eat lunch, play games, work on homework, or just talk. “We talk about whatever,” John said.
He and his mentee have been matched for three years. “The experience has been rewarding for me,” said John. “I look forward to the time that I spend each week with my mentee. The experience has really driven home the importance of having a relationship in one’s life that is steady and caring.”
John’s contact with Metropolitan Family Services dates back to the 70s, when he was Village Administrator of Park Forest and Metropolitan provided human services there. Then, in the early 90s as Village Administrator of Woodridge, John reconnected with Metropolitan DuPage and helped start the Community Resource Center in Woodridge to provide after school activities for children.
John has been a mentor to four teens since he began volunteering with the program five years ago. Because there always is a need for more mentors—especially male mentors—at times John has had more than one mentee. He encourages other adults to get involved in MetroMentors: “If every adult could help one child, we could make a difference for children growing up today.”
Click here to volunteer with MetroMentors.