Farmers Feeding Families RFP
We seek to identify community programs and services that increase access to food and combat food insecurity in Shelby County. Our goal is to ensure that individuals are able to live healthy lives free from hunger and its associated health issues and move more freely toward self-sufficiency with this barrier removed.
How can one hour a week reading with a child really make a difference?
So thought Richard Jones, Senior Vice President, Investments at Harmony Wealth Partners of Raymond James, 18 years ago when he first volunteered as a mentor with Big Brother Big Sisters of Kentuckiana (BBBS), an out-of-school time (OST) partner of Metro United Way. He soon realized that just one hour a week does make a big difference! In fact, research shows that consistent time spent together between a mentor and mentee builds a relationship that directly affects the youth’s academic performance and social development.
From Richard’s experience, he knows that his time is what is most important to the kids he mentors and that small actions can have a large impact. Favorite activities of his “Littles” (the term BBBS calls youth who are mentored) include hayrides and picking pumpkins at Huber’s, car shows at The Kentucky Exposition Center, visiting the Louisville Zoo or exploring the Frazier History Museum.
Now mentoring his third child, it’s rewarding for Richard to see the kids he’s mentored flourish and succeed inside and outside the classroom. As they graduate high school, he understands the impact that a positive male role model has to help them thrive and he’s proud of his role in their success.
At Metro United Way, we are committed to helping our community’s children stay on track to graduate high school on time, prepared for college, work and life; quality OST programs like BBBS and mentors like Richard are a huge part of making that possible!