Written by Emily Cruse What it means that things come back 10 fold-it’s not always dollar for dollar.  Sometimes things are bigger than we ever expected. A few weeks prior to the pandemic, I bought ten discounted tickets to a hockey game. I thought it would be cool for a few matches to try something new. That was of course delayed a year. The day finally came and, well.. it was canceled AGAIN. This guy named Mario (now a friend) says, I’m so sorry stuff keeps happening. I just started laughing and said “we just got to roll with it, right?” We connected well and a few weeks later, I receiv ..read more

Steven Hawkins once said, “However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Where there’s life, there’s hope.” So what is Hope? There are a multiple definitions for hope, but the definition I want to highlight is one provided by Merriam Webster: Noun. Desire accompanied by expectation of or belief of fulfillment. When we go out into these communities to plan events, create spaces for mentorship, and bring in programs that can help families, what do you think that we’re providing? Of course, you could say that we’re providing, and helping, to foster a sense of com ..read more

Written by: Allison Last week, our team had the opportunity to virtually join the annual National Mentoring Summit, convened by MENTOR. The summit convenes over 1,000 individuals from various organizations all with the same North Star-  mentoring is integral to a person’s development, career or personal. When the summit was in-person in downtown Washington D.C., our team always came back to Charleston with a renewed sense of purpose and intentionality. Though this year’s summit was virtual, the outcome was the same: We are ready to dive into this year, working intentionally and thoughtful ..read more

By Emily Cruse Last month, Kiki wrote a wonderful piece on “clocking out” and taking time for yourself. In some ways, I feel like it was written specifically for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am nonstop. I have the full belief that whatever your hands find to do, you should do it wholeheartedly. That being said, it is often hard for me to know when I need to stop.  It is especially hard to stop when you literally see miracles happening in front of you.  As I turn on the news, scroll through my social media, and talk with friends/family, it is easy to get discouraged: Covid cas ..read more

Be A Mentor (BAM) is exactly what it says in the name- an organization that believes one of the best ways to support youth in our community is by consistently mentoring others. Lao Tzu said it best, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.  Since accepting the job of Program Director at Be A Mentor, Emily Cruse has focused largely on creating the most effective mentoring relationships in our community. She believes she has a recipe for success which starts with a clear understanding of who you are serving, while remaining focused ..read more

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