It was all smiles in Firestone Community Learning Center the night of January 11th, as mentors, their plus ones, and distinguished staff of Akron Public Schools and Barberton City Schools began pouring in to the iC.A.R.E. Mentor Appreciation Event. Mentors from BCS and APS’s many schools met to share mentoring success stories, and give advice to one another. As they chatted away, the wonderful Chef Skelly and his team of promising Kenmore-Garfield culinary students served drinks and appetizers.

Mentor Vicki Raynor with her Mentee, Ja’Meer

After an hour of engaging conversations, handshakes, and laughter, the iC.A.R.E. mentors made their way to the auditorium for the main event of the evening. As the lights of the auditorium dimmed, United Way’s President and CEO Jim Mullen took a moment to address the audience on the outstanding force for good their efforts bring to schools around Akron and Barberton, and the endless benefit they will be in their mentees’ lives for years to come.

Following the round of applause, Superintendent of Akron Public Schools, David James, thanked Jonathan Greer, founder and director of iC.A.R.E. Mentoring, for his endless passion for helping youth and reinforced to iC.A.R.E. mentors the difference they make every day in the lives of students.

Ja’Meer smiling with Laura Schroff

The night’s featured speaker, Laura Schroff, took to the stage. Schroff, author of An Invisible Thread, spoke about her own experiences mentoring, as well as the impact it had on her’s and her mentee’s lives.

Schroff spoke on her first meeting with her mentee, Maurice, more than 30 years ago, and how it changed her life. She learned to be grateful for the life she had. Though she didn’t have a perfect family life herself, she quickly saw it couldn’t compare to the life of panhandling and neglect Maurice experienced every day. Through her time with Maurice, she learned the value of trust and love in forming relationships. Indeed, her stories are not unfamiliar to the many Mentoring Moments iC.A.R.E. holds dearly. Schroff ended her speech by taking questions from the audience.

Jonathan Greer, Director of iC.A.R.E. then followed, approaching the stage wearing the same “124” name tag found on every staff member of iC.A.R.E. that night. Greer reminded the audience of the number’s importance. “This number,” he explained, “represents the number of mentees who are still waiting on iC.A.R.E. Mentoring’s  waiting list. That’s the number of kids who still need a mentor.”

iC.A.R.E. Mentors At The Mentor Appreciation Event

Greer then challenged the audience to fulfill a very important request: clear the waiting list.

“If every person in this room spoke to one person like themselves, someone with a caring heart that could build a positive relationship with a student, we could take these name tags off.” Greer then closed reminding the audience of the incredible impact they have.

“Super heroes, real super heroes, don’t wear capes,” he said, “they look like us.”

Mentors line up to chat and get signed books from Laura Schroff

The audience ended the night with a free copy of An Invisible Thread, signed by Schroff herself, with a chance to speak to her.

Have you had a “124 moment” and talked to someone about mentoring? If so, how did it go? Tell us how mentoring has changed your life in the comments below.