Success Stories

Chiquita and Angela who have been matched for three years exude complete joy when they are together. This means a lot considering all the distractions Chiquita faces at home where she helps take care of her three brothers. Angela and Chiquita are best friends and bond over laughter. With Angela’s unconditional support Chiquita has learned how to deal with some very serious emotions and allow herself to be vulnerable in expressing them. She has also learned the importance of setting goals and sticking to them. Chiquita says: “Angela keeps me on the straight.

Starcia and Cindy have been matched for just over a year. It is as if they were destined to meet. They share a birthday and a propensity for fits of giggles and laughter. When they met Starcia was living in Snoqualmie however she has since relocated to Spokane. Cindy travels to Spokane, at her own expense once a month to see Starcia. Between face-to-face visits they stay connected by phone and writing letters. Since being matched with Cindy Starcia has shown huge personal growth and is currently awaiting acceptance letters from several colleges.

Luis and Doug have been matched for a year. It takes a leap of faith to be a mentor. Building trust can be a challenge and it was for Luis and Doug initially. Luis was reluctant to open up and leave his comfort zone. However Luis and Doug persevered and got to know each other over lunches at school and before long discovered they shared a lot of the same interests. Luis and Doug started talking on the phone and exchanging emails and soon Doug was a regular at Luis’ basketball games. They even started seeing movies together.

David and Greg have been matched for a remarkable six years. They share an interest in multimedia production, technology and studying different countries and cultures. Since being matched with Greg, David’s self-confidence has increased and he is better at communicating. Their relationship has helped both David and Greg weather some very tough times including the loss of loved ones. David says: “Being with Greg has taught me how to be a friend”.

Hope, a nine-year-old girl was ecstatic to learn she was getting a mentor. Hope and her mentor, Jill had a lot in common including the desire to learn sign language. Jill had always wanted to learn to sign but had difficulty picking it up without someone to practice with. When she heard that Hope, who is hearing impaired was looking for a mentor to learn sign language with she knew it was meant to be.