Sacred Stories

[Below is a true story, but names of the mentor, student and family members involved have been changed to honor their privacy.] Mikayla is in the third grade. She has had a difficult life. She wants so badly to live with her mom, but her mom is not in a place where she can parent right now and … [Read more...] about The Best Christmas Gift Might Not Be What You’d Expect

“God causes all things to work together for good, for those who love him and are called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28 Building a relationship with a student is the easy part. The majority of the kids in our program take to their mentors right away. But sometimes building a relationship … [Read more...] about Sacred Stories: Amy & TaQwayisha

​As I walked through the cafeteria for the first time to meet Kwame at Cornerstone Elementary, of course every student at the table was interested in who I was and why I was there. Kwame introduced me as his mentor. One of the kids replied, “What’s that?” I was curious to see his response, which … [Read more...] about Sacred Stories: Rocky & Kwame

I began serving as a mentor this past fall (September 2016). My mentee’s name is Kevin, and he is a 4th grader at Cornerstone Elementary School. I was not quite sure what to expect in my experience with Kevin, but I can now say that we’ve been a blessing to each other. I came into the program … [Read more...] about Sacred Stories: Byron & Kevin

Meet Bryan Jenkins and Marlo Wellman. Marlo, a 5 th grader at Restoration Academy and Bryan, his mentor, have been alongside each other for a year. Bryan and his wife are members at Valleydale Baptist and he has been involved with Restoration Academy for a few years but came to Aspire because his … [Read more...] about Sacred Stories: Bryan & Marlo

Olivia has been mentoring these two sisters for over a year. As a member of Redeemer Community Church in Birmingham she was interested in building some intentional relationships outside of her comfort zone. Though her vocation as a behavior analysis keeps her busy, she always finds time to connect … [Read more...] about Sacred Stories: Olivia w/ Seanna & Cydney