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I have been a Senior Friend for two years. Looking back, I was naive about the level of commitment required—it has been much bigger than I originally envisioned. Even "successful" people have lives and relationships that are messy. The difference with a lot of Junior Friends is they have fewer options and less of a safety margin. Things crash quickly. But the reward for us is commensurately uplifting and fulfilling. Nick, my Junior Friend, trusts me, confides in me, and we both know that our relationship matters. After two years I want more than ever to be there to help. We all know that there are many more in need of our imperfect help.
This does not happen by itself, and so I have been trying to raise money to support the Mentoring Services offered by Friends for Youth. I am a local businessman and have enlisted and will continue to enlist the support of other local businesses. My method is to recruit help from within my circle—in the same way a Senior Friend conducts a relationship with their Junior Friend—one-to-one. My goal is for each local business to feel connected to the impact they are having on the Junior Friends they are helping. I want to help build community between these new supporters and our youth. |
First published in the January 2013 Emeritus Friendships Bulletin
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