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The student founders of Anchored By Family share the story of how their organization was founded and what young people can do to mentor their peers.
Creators and Guests
What is You Can Mentor: A Christian Youth Mentoring Podcast?
You Can Mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring leaders through resources and relationships to love God, love others, and make disciples in their own community. We want to see Christian mentors thrive.
We want to hear from you! Send any mentoring questions to hello@youcanmentor.com, and we'll answer them on our podcast. We want to help you become the best possible mentor you can be. Also, if you are a mentoring organization, church, or non-profit, connect with us to join our mentoring network or to be spotlighted on our show.
Please find out more at www.youcanmentor.com or find us on social media. You will find more resources on our website to help equip and encourage mentors. We have downloadable resources, cohort opportunities, and an opportunity to build relationships with other Christian mentoring leaders.
You can mentor is a podcast about the power of building relationships with kids from hard places in the name of Jesus. Every episode will help you overcome common mentoring obstacles and give you the confidence you need to invest in the lives of others you can mentor. Welcome back to the You Can Mentor podcast. My name is Caroline, and I am here today with one of my good friends from church, Brookie Hughes, and her whole crew from Anchored by Family. And I'm just gonna have everybody introduce themselves because this is our first group podcast, and I am so excited for the amount of voices that are gonna be on today's podcast.
Speaker 1:So everybody, you wanna introduce yourself?
Speaker 2:Hi. I'm Ricky Hughes, and I've been a part of Anchored by Family now for almost 2 years. We got started in the fall of 2018.
Speaker 3:I'm Ellie. I go to parish and miss Hughes is my teacher, and I heard about Anchored by Family at the beginning of the year and got involved.
Speaker 4:Hi. I'm Evie. I'm gonna be a rising junior this fall. Miss Hughes was my teacher last year, and in fall 2019, I got involved with Anchored by Family.
Speaker 5:Hi. My name is Angel, and I've been a part of Anchor by Family for about a year, almost a year and a half now. Met miss Hughes my senior year of 2018 and been a part of it since.
Speaker 6:Hi. My name is Jonathan Alvarez. I've been part of Anchored by Family for about 2 years. It's not as misused.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Okay. Whole crew is here. So, Ricky, I would just love for you to explain what is Anchored by Family and your vision and what you guys do, And then we'll just kinda talk more about what you have done and what you're excited to do and why you guys as high school students and graduated high school students want to be a part of this organization.
Speaker 2:So back in the fall of 2018, I had been working a part time job in a restaurant, and I didn't really know the purpose of me working there. And then I realized that I could use the money to give out my favorite book to all my students or whoever wanted one. It's called Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko. And after, like, giving out the book, a group of 7 Spruce High School students, would stop by my classroom in Pleasant Grove every morning, and we just created this club and, like, family atmosphere. Like, there wasn't a morning where we, you know, miss checking in and saying hi and, just talking about the day and everything.
Speaker 2:And so with, like, all the student like, those 7 students coming together in my classroom, we just started to brainstorm ideas of how we could make, positive change in the community. And so last year, we went through the process of making Anchored by Family a 501c3 nonprofit organization. And our, like, mission is to bring unity to the city of Dallas through mentorship amongst high school students from, like, different high schools across the DFW metroplex as well as high school students and elementary school students in the Pleasant Grove community itself. And our big picture goal is to build a community center, which we have land for, and it's a block away from Dorsey Elementary School, A Plus Academy, and Spruce High School.
Speaker 1:That is amazing. It's a huge deal. Okay. Well, I just kinda wanna know more. Like, how did you guys come up with the name Anchored by Family?
Speaker 1:Because if you just started out as hanging out, when did who came up with the idea to get a name and start an organization?
Speaker 2:So there was one morning where 4 of my past students at Spruce or I guess it wasn't the morning. It was, like, lunchtime. We we, like, were in the classroom, and at first, the name was Anchored. And then I remember talking to to my past students, Kayla and Cedric, and we added the bifamily that day. And then we the name just got adopted kind of by everybody else.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. So Angel and Jonathan, you guys were part of the this founding class. So what was your initial experience?
Speaker 5:Well, my initial experience was, you know, everybody that was in this group, you know, had a purpose. You know? Miss Hughes clearly knows what she wants to do and is changing the community of of Pleasant Grove. And at first, you know, I was just there to be there, you know, just to see how it was. But as the more I started going every morning, you know, I see that she had more passion for it.
Speaker 5:So I was like, you know, I'll stick with it. So we're just coming up with ideas and and all that stuff. This start making sense. And me personally being from Pleasant Grove, you know, I didn't go down the wrong path. Thank god.
Speaker 5:But, you know, there's more kids out there that are. So, you know, I've just it'd be a good idea to get involved in that and make sure the kids that I know and kids that I don't know are not going back down that path in Pleasant Grove.
Speaker 1:It's really good.
Speaker 6:My experience for Anchor by family was I just went to miss Hughes' room just to talk with her because I had problems. But as soon as I heard that she was doing this program, I wanna get involved in it so we can help not just me in the group, but other people get them together
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 6:Since they may have problems too, so we can help them and get them on the right path. So I really wanna be a part of it. This is since miss Hughes is a really good friend. I wanna help her out, and it will be a good experience for the community to to come together.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:So why mentorship? Why did you guys in high school why are you guys in high school thinking that mentorship is a good idea?
Speaker 6:A mentorship would be good to help out little kids who probably have, like, single one. They would they just have single moms, so they probably don't have a father figure, so we can help them out, and they can grow with their father figure.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. It's really good.
Speaker 2:I
Speaker 3:think that everyone just has different stories, and I think it's just really, really cool the opportunity to get to know, like, younger kids, older kids, just people throughout Dallas and just kinda, like, share what we're learning, help each other out, form community and relationships. And I think that's just, like, such a cool way to bring unity. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Okay. So I wanna just hear a little bit more about you guys, your personal stories, and had did you ever have a mentor that meant a lot to you? Because there's a reason why why you're here in this room. Because you guys think it's important, that mentorship is important.
Speaker 1:And so was there a mentor in your life that did something to help you, or that said something to you that made you want to be here today, now mentoring kids?
Speaker 4:Mine actually started, which is kinda funny because I'm just not the kind of person that loves math. I actually started with my 6th grade math tutor, Laura, and she's a student at DTS. And so we were both pretty young at the time, and she she sort of just came in. And I had always really struggled and thought that I was really stupid. And I had a really hard time with math, and she kinda came in and just with somehow just helped me connect with it.
Speaker 4:But also at the same time, she knew that I was a Christian. And I think that on top of being a mentor for me in the classroom and, you know, helping me at home tutoring with math. She also was always there for me just to check-in, to send me a bible verse. She was just always there and always very present, which meant a lot.
Speaker 1:Was there anything that Laura did specifically that you remember her doing?
Speaker 4:Something specifically I remember is my freshman year, there was a lot of drama going on surrounding homecoming. And she she either texted me or called me one day, and she was like, hey. Like, we're gonna go get, like, coffee, and we're gonna talk about it. And so she picks me up out of nowhere. She takes me to go get coffee.
Speaker 4:We go to the movie trading company, which is now, like, a tradition of ours. We go and get, like, movies, like, random movies, and it was just the best thing ever.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 5:I did have one. It was, I would say, when I was about 10, 11. We, this was I started boxing when I was at the age of 7. So, you know, my father being the main figure. You know?
Speaker 5:But when my dad wasn't there, there was another coach. His name is Ray Jimenez, and I guess you could say he was a second father. He he was there when my dad couldn't take me to the gym, pick me up, take me, take me home. And there was many days. We're getting ready for fights, and I'll spend the night at his house.
Speaker 5:It may it was a warm feeling, and it was like I was a part of the family. And when there was stuff I couldn't talk about my dad with, you know, just I would talk to him, and he'll give me advice. And he was overall, you could say, a second father figure for me. Even though to this day, you know, we we don't really communicate, but, you know, the the love is still there. We make sure he's good.
Speaker 5:I'm good. We have we want our own separate ways. I don't fight no more, but his his son is a pro boxer, so we're still involved in that. So I guess you could say he was a big impact as well in my life.
Speaker 1:Wow. That's awesome. I think you just touched on, like, 10 huge points that mentors need to hear of, like, neither of your mentors did anything crazy. It wasn't going to 6 flags every week that made them a good mentor. It was being consistent and it was inviting them into your into their family and checking in.
Speaker 1:And so mentors hear those things because those are huge. Those are the things that stick out to these kids who are now wanting to mentor others of just being consistent. You don't have to do anything crazy with them all the time, and loving them and inviting them into your family. And so I just wanted to get to know just more about the vision behind Anchored by Family, and what are some crazy wild dreams that you guys are hoping for? Because I know you mentioned the community center.
Speaker 1:But why how does mentorship relate to the community center, and what is the goal there? Because I think that those are I think that they go hand in hand. But what is, like what are some big crazy wild dreams that you guys have had and that you guys have brought to the table for Anchored by Family?
Speaker 2:Well, I think it's safe to say that, like, nobody's family is perfect, but in, like, the family of Christ, it is because there's this bond that's, like, unexplainable, and that even though, like, we're all imperfect people, just having people who will uplift you and help push you forward into your purpose is just so necessary. And so the name Anchored by Family, it's like, you don't have to be blood related to people to see them as your family and to have that community behind you, empowering you to move forward. So I would say some crazy dreams that, you know, my students and I have talked about is, like, having, like, more easily accessible and more qualified counselors, like, in the community to help in, like, the building that we're, you know, hopeful to have. Also, community service opportunities just from having taught at Spruce. It just seemed like there weren't those, like, really cool, you know, community service opportunities to give back.
Speaker 2:So just a space so that mentorship could be a part of that, like, for high school students specifically.
Speaker 1:Well, I think that's amazing because I think it's easy as a high school student to think, well, I need a mentor versus I can mentor. And you guys are rewriting that story because the goal of mentorship is, like and I think that you guys would agree is to raise up disciples. And so it's really we all need mentors. And so you guys are flipping the script a little bit and saying, well, we can start that when I'm in high school, and I can go find the kids that need a mentor. And so what has been, like, a story or 10 stories about relationships that you guys have started to build with with kids that are younger or things that y'all are doing in the elementary schools And just kinda what are some what are some ways that you guys are seeing mentorship take place?
Speaker 5:This goes back to boxing for me. It wasn't with miss Hughes that I was mentoring. Mhmm. But now, you know, we have the elementary schools. You know, we can get more involved in, but there was a couple kids at my gym this year.
Speaker 5:They're coming up, young hard headed kids. Me, I'm not perfect, clearly. But, there was a lot of mistakes that they were making, you know, that I can tell them not to do. You know? Basically, just showing them the ropes even though my father is the coach of the gym.
Speaker 5:So, you know, I was kind of the, I guess you could say, brother that puts him in check. So there was, like, I would say about 3 or 4 kids. They're, like, my little brothers. So even though this is not going on right now, you know, you still check up on them and Mhmm.
Speaker 3:See
Speaker 5:how they're doing, make sure they're doing the right stuff. And and while we're in the gym, you know, it's just straight to business. So I guess you could say it's like a little bit of mentoring for me and those little kids.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 4:I am just a kid at heart. So I just absolutely love kids. But, my brother is actually gonna be in 5th grade this year. So he moved to the campus where I'm at for school, his 3rd grade year. And a lot of the girls in his classroom, when I had, like, free time during school or something, I would go down, just say hi and check up on them, maybe even play with them for a little bit.
Speaker 4:And I think it's, you know, similar to what you said earlier, just that consistency and knowing that there's somebody else there because sometimes, you know, I from personal experience, like, kids don't always wanna listen to their parents or whatever, and it's easier for somebody to be there and say, like, hey, that's not cool or, like, you know, just be a good example for them.
Speaker 5:Mhmm. That's good.
Speaker 1:That's real good. Okay. So I want us to think about your own elementary school experience. And so you guys have done a lot of work with Dorsey Elementary, and are still even you're still brainstorming ways to serve them, which is amazing. But what is what are a couple of things that you wish you had heard in elementary school from a mentor or from someone that maybe wasn't maybe was or wasn't your parent, but what is, like, 1 or 2 things that you wish you had heard on a consistent basis from someone that was pouring into you?
Speaker 6:Some things that I wish I would have heard, not everything's probably gonna go the way that you want it to go, but you can probably make you can create a path to the, the way you wanna make it to. You're probably not gonna have a lot of friends. You're probably gonna be lonely. So try to make friends, communicate with somebody, have a mentor throughout your electrics years. And by the time you're done, probably high school, you could probably go back to elementary, the same school, and help a kid that's probably going through the same thing as you are.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. That's really good. It's real good.
Speaker 2:I always thought it was really cool to have somebody older because I was like, oh, like, she's so cool. She's older than me. Mhmm. So I remember in elementary school having, like, a reading buddy. And even though just reading together for an hour at a time when, like, I was 1st grader and she was a 4th grader, I think.
Speaker 2:Like, I just Mhmm. Just the age thinking she was so much cooler because she has more life experience. And then something I guess I wish that I would have heard in elementary school is, like, how important, like, community is and just having friends and, like, pouring more into that than, like, necessarily worrying about, you know, getting an a and a perfect score on every test. Because just material things and things like that, they, you know, fade with time, but relationships don't and they don't have to.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That's really good.
Speaker 5:Both you
Speaker 1:and Jonathan said, just talking about friends and the importance of making them and keeping them. And also mentors, you have the ability in a season of sadness or when your mentee is lonely, you have the ability in the arm to reach around them and say, well, I'm, I will be consistent and I will continue to be your friend and I will continue to walk alongside you, and continue to show you that relationships are one of the most important things. We have a saying here that relationships change lives. And I think that everybody in this room would agree that that is the case. And you guys are building those relationships to change lives, especially in the Pleasant Grove community.
Speaker 1:So I just wanna ask you guys specifically, Jonathan and Angel, you guys were in the founding class of Anchored by Family. And so what would be some of the biggest takeaways that you guys have from getting together as a group of people and starting a mentoring organization? Like, what are some things that you have learned about yourself, about one another? Just what are some of the things that you guys have taken away from the past 2 years?
Speaker 5:One major thing that I've learned, like miss Hughes said earlier, it doesn't take blood to be family because, when we first started off, I didn't know this kid at all. I didn't know, like, 3 or 4 other kids that were in the program. You know, I walked in, and I was like, you know, I'm not supposed to be here. I don't know these kids, but, you know, the more you started coming every day. So that's the main thing I'd take away is just your blood doesn't make you families.
Speaker 5:The bond and the trust and all of that. And with us 7, we have that. You know? Mhmm. We're there for each other when we have to be.
Speaker 5:You know? We, we trust in each other. We we just do we can do whatever if if I were to go up to miss Hughes and ask her for something, you know, she'll do it. Hopefully. If Jonathan the same thing and the other kids, you know, it's just the takeaway is don't always push people away that you don't know at first.
Speaker 5:Just, you know, I guess, be an open person and take it
Speaker 3:for
Speaker 5:what it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Because did that trust between all of you guys come day 1, the 1st day that you walked into Ms. Hughes' classroom?
Speaker 6:Not necessarily. It took some time, but throughout time knowing each other, doing the program, all of us, the whole group, we got really close. Mhmm. Basically became family already.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 6:For a time.
Speaker 1:It takes time. I just wanna everybody to hear that. It takes time. And Ellie and Evie, did you guys know each other before getting connected through Brookie?
Speaker 4:We knew of each other. We just weren't we just I mean, we knew mutually each other, but Okay. We never really talked.
Speaker 1:But now you guys know each other. Yeah. But that didn't again, it didn't happen overnight. And so mentors hear that too that it's okay that it takes time. And anchored by family started by meeting every single day in the morning, sometimes after school.
Speaker 1:And so mentors, if you're seeing your mentee once a week, understand that it might take a while to earn the trust to become family, but that it does happen. And that this consistency that is just a constant theme of this group right here, that trust will will form and that bonds will form and that family really can form, even if you're not blood related, which I love. But, Jonathan, would you add anything else to what you took away from starting this organization?
Speaker 6:If a mentor is somewhat struggling for the mentee Mhmm. It would be better, try to get into his life as much as possible even if he doesn't kind of want it, but he wants it. Like, push it so he can know that he can trust you.
Speaker 1:That's really good because they will push away. Have you found that to be true?
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 1:It's not fun. As the mentor, it's not fun when your mentee is pushing away.
Speaker 6:Yeah. One of my mentors would be miss Hughes.
Speaker 1:Did you push away at first?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Especially in the beginning, I remember. Jonathan, my first year at Spruce, he would sometimes he was in my, like, last class of the day. And so after school, he would stay and talk about things going on and everything. And it definitely took time for him to start sharing more and more.
Speaker 2:But then I, the 2nd year at Spruce, gave him the book through the eyes of a lion. So I would love for him to talk on that.
Speaker 6:Through the Eyes of a Lion, I didn't know about it until she gave it to me. When I read the book, I then I went up to her and, like, told her, you wanted me to have this book because I could actually relate a lot to the book.
Speaker 1:Really?
Speaker 6:Yes. I that's my favorite book. I read it 6 times, actually.
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness. And she
Speaker 6:was surprised in every other person that I told.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. So what would be what was what were your few biggest takeaways from that book?
Speaker 6:Few takeaways because, from that book would be, well, mostly about family because in that book, sometimes your family might might not always agree with you some with some certain things, but they'll try their best to stay with you as best they can.
Speaker 1:That's really powerful. That's good. So you gave all these students this book. Will you, Brookie, will you talk about this through the eyes of a lion a little bit more and why it means so much to this organization?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the book, it's it talks about, like, Levi's story of him losing his his daughter to an asthma attack. And so he, like, starts out the book pretty heavy talking about that part of his story, but then the book continues to talk about how, like, every day is a day to, like, overcome your suffering. And that even though, like, there are hard things that happen in this life, like, there's so much good that can come from it. And so how it just talks about how to, like, cherish suffering as well as, like, really instilling in every reader that reads it, like, that you have a purpose, that you're unique, that, like, God made you.
Speaker 2:And so, like, you know, I, you know, couldn't write a book myself, but, like, if there was one thing that I wanted my students to take away, it was the message of that book. So yeah. Wow.
Speaker 1:So do you believe that you have a purpose, all of you?
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 3:Throughout the school year, one of my favorite things was missus' passion about that, about purpose, and it was just, like, so cool. Like, I always felt like when I was in your room, like I know. Like, I just felt more more, like, alive because I knew that you believed in, like, all of us and that you, like, really understood, like, that we all have a purpose. And I think that really helped me understand a lot more about that myself, and I think it's just, like, so cool. Like, you're such a light because you're so passionate about that, and I love it.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. So what were some things miss Hughes would say to you guys as her students in the classroom?
Speaker 5:She well, I mean, I wasn't her student as we've already said, but every time we left the room in the morning, it was always that one phrase, just make good choices. And that was a
Speaker 2:tough thing. And,
Speaker 5:you know, it it sticks, you know, you know, just to know somebody cares, especially at the school that we go to because, I'm a be honest with you, it's not a lot of that. Just to have miss Hughes, you know, make good choices. End of the day, you walk in in the hallway, and she's like, make good choices. You know? You just it sticks in the back of your head just thinking about it all the time, and
Speaker 3:you're like,
Speaker 5:oh, damn. What if I what if I do this? And then I tell them it's huge. She'd be like, I don't think that was a good choice.
Speaker 1:Did it did it sound different coming from her than maybe from another teacher?
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Just Why?
Speaker 5:Just because, just like I said, the passion she has for it. And I know she loves each and every one of her students. Other students of I mean, other, teachers over there, you know, kinda just go with the flow. I mean, don't get it wrong. There was something that, you know, cared Mhmm.
Speaker 5:Because they did, like, the most. But just so many views are different just because, you know, I knew her already.
Speaker 6:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:So it
Speaker 5:was just that phrase is stuck in the back of my head.
Speaker 1:That's really good, Brookie. Good job. So what were some other things that are there phrases that she says, or are there ways that she speaks that stand out that would make you guys think that she's as important as she is?
Speaker 6:Honestly, that would be the only main phrase that she has ever said to us, but she's still important to us.
Speaker 2:Oh, come on. There's gotta be more than that.
Speaker 6:Name another one.
Speaker 1:Well, clearly, she, like, stands out as a teacher because you're all sitting in this room.
Speaker 2:But I didn't say this vocally, but on the board, especially at Spruce, it's like, we wrote there's nothing ordinary about you. I don't know if y'all remember that.
Speaker 6:Fair enough.
Speaker 2:So there's another one.
Speaker 3:I think another thing was you would always, like, like, talk to us. Like like like, it was just obvious that you cared about what was going on in everyone's lives in the room. Like, you would check-in on us before we, like, really started the class, like, asking about the weekend. And at the beginning of the year, you had us, like, write down, like, things that we cared about, things that were important, and it was just obvious that we were all, like, valued.
Speaker 6:Mhmm. For there.
Speaker 1:It's really good. Good job, Brookie. So, Brookie, for you as not only a leader of now a nonprofit, but just you are a mentor, and you have mentored the 4 of these guys and hundreds of other students just in teaching. And so what are some things that you as a mentor have learned are are good practices in mentoring?
Speaker 2:Listening to other people's stories is definitely one of them. And, like, being intentional and not just, like, asking questions because, you know, you feel like you have to, but really listening to stories and then also caring enough to, like, no matter how hard things get, like, just be there. Even if you don't know what to say, like, just be there and, like, show that you care because that, I feel like, helped me gain a lot of trust amongst my students over the years.
Speaker 1:So how did you start asking about their their stories or their life as a teacher?
Speaker 2:I think at first, I really didn't know how to, like, go about it. But then throughout especially my 1st year teaching, I would, you know, listen to a worship song or, like, read some sort of scripture, and then I'd write it down and post it on this quote wall. And then as this quote wall started to form more and more, I saw the kinda correlation, I guess, you could say, or connection with students starting to see me as someone that they could trust, and then, you know, opening up to me about those stories or their stories.
Speaker 1:That's really good. Wow. Guys, this is amazing. I just want you to know that it is just really, really awesome to sit in a room with people who are being because miss Hughes, Brookie, is mentoring you guys right now, just by the way that she cares about you. But then you guys are turning around and mentoring others, which is awesome and desiring to do that.
Speaker 1:And so mentors know that, like, your investment matters and that every moment that you spend with your mentee matters. So we have 2 high schools represented here in this room. We have Pleasant Grove High or Spruce High School and then Parrish High School. So ladies from Parish, what would you what do you think that your desire is to see in your school? As a part of Anchored by Family, is there something in your school specifically in your community that you are wanting to see happen through mentorship?
Speaker 4:I think what Angel said earlier about, like, walking into a room and not knowing anybody or being friends with anybody, but being open to the thought of growing relationship with other people and building that friendship in that family. And I I wish that Parish had more of that. I mean, I very much so believe that Parish is a a very well knit community, but I think that sometimes people get a little too comfortable in their own bubble. And I think at times, it would be really useful and and special to have people growing outside of
Speaker 1:that bubble and getting to know more people. That's awesome.
Speaker 6:I would say better teachers, but not exactly. More like, not just better teachers, but more teachers like miss Hughes and some other teachers. Like, they actually really, really care about their students, like, what's going on in their life. I actually wanna connect with them Mhmm. And spend quality time with them even if, like, it's during class, during lunch.
Speaker 6:So it's
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Well, guys, we have another special treat. Hazel is with us. Hey. Hazel, will you just kinda give a little background of your beginning with Anchored by Family and how you got started?
Speaker 7:Hi. I'm Hazel. The way I get got into Anchored by Family was basically through my sister because miss Hughes was her teacher. And then she introduced me to miss Hughes. So sweet.
Speaker 7:The way I got into Anchor BI family is,
Speaker 3:like I said, through
Speaker 7:my sister, she told me about it and then miss Hughes started talking about it to to me about it. And
Speaker 2:And Hazel was, like, one of the 7 that would stop by my classroom every morning. Yeah.
Speaker 7:We would come by in the mornings during breakfast. We would talk about ideas and how to help out in the community.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. I love that. I'm so glad you're here. Okay. So Samantha, I wanna ask you guys.
Speaker 1:If this vision of Anchored by Family is to create a community center, What do you think that Pleasant Grove specifically needs the most?
Speaker 6:What needs most is, to put the difference aside, just become one whole family.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. That's huge, putting the differences aside.
Speaker 5:What Pleasant Grove needs is guidance because, you know, growing up there, especially in the area that we're putting the, recreation center, there's a lot of misguided kids falling for the, I guess you could say, the the bad life I mean, the bad path instead of the good path. And in my neighborhood, there's many of that. And just if you can see those kids come to that center and get the guidance that they need and go down the right path, you know, get a job, go do this, get money, stack up, all of that. It'll be that'd be the main goal for this recreation center.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Ricky, do you have any other thoughts about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Just like, I think Pleasant Grove I mean, I'm totally an outsider, you know, coming in, but just like a space and place where people can go and have people around them that they trust. I think trust is, like, a big thing, which is the, like, kind of dream and desire for what the community service or community center would offer to the community.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That's awesome. Okay. And then I just wanna ask everyone everyone I want to answer this question of how would you encourage a mentor? Because you guys are mentoring, and you're wanting to establish that and raise up other mentors.
Speaker 1:So if there was a mentor sitting in here that needed encouragement, what would you say to them?
Speaker 6:I would tell them, take your time, with the task. It's not gonna be easy, but eventually you'll get there.
Speaker 1:So good.
Speaker 5:I would say be consistent. Even if times get hard, you still have to be there for him or her because you are the mentor, and just give the best advice as possible. Don't leave the kid. If things get hard, just maybe step back. Let him do him for a little bit or her, and then just keep applying pressure.
Speaker 1:That's good.
Speaker 4:I think consistency, I totally agree, is key. I also think trust is a
Speaker 1:big thing. But at the end
Speaker 4:of the day, I think that bonding is also huge too. So relating to them on some level, talking to them about, you know, what they're interested in, or maybe you have some sort of connection. Again, you know, like Jonathan said, I don't think it's gonna happen overnight. But I think doing all those things consistently and being persistent in their life and them knowing that you're there is gonna make a huge difference.
Speaker 3:I definitely agree with all that. Like, consistency, I think, is super huge. And I think one thing in my life that has meant, like, a lot through different mentors is like acceptance and just love, like the whole relationship being about love and just kind of like accepting the person where they are and just letting them know that they are loved and valued.
Speaker 7:And like Jonathan and Angel said, yes. It's gonna be difficult, but don't never give up on them. Build trust.
Speaker 5:And yeah. It's good.
Speaker 2:I wanna comment on what Ellie said about love. I think there's an acronym for love, which is leading others to victoriously endure. And so just having that, like, constant belief in in that person that you're, you know, mentoring. And again, like Hazel said, like, never giving up on them no matter what. So good.
Speaker 1:There's so much wisdom in this room. And you guys are, like, what people would I mean, I'm young too, but I just think of scripture where it says, like, do not let anyone look down on you because you are young. That's an example for believers. And, like, everything that you said is something that I need to hear, that my mom needs to hear, that my grandma needs to hear, that, like, all these other mentors need to hear because mentoring is hard, and starting a nonprofit is hard and getting a group of people together that knows nothing about one another is hard. But you guys are doing that and you guys are doing that fearlessly and you guys are walking in your purpose.
Speaker 1:Even if it's just your purpose for this season, you are walking in it, and mentors need to be encouraged by that, which is just awesome. So we're kind of walking into a new school year. Obviously, it looks a little different right now, but what are some things that you guys are wanting to do this year specifically, either by the end of 2020 or school year? Is there anything that you're like, I wanna do this?
Speaker 3:I wanna get to know more of the younger kids because I don't think I know a lot of them, and I just wanna form more relationships.
Speaker 2:I think bringing unity between different communities, like, with people of different race and different beliefs and just everything, especially just given our crazy world right now, and what's going on. Like, there's just different demographics of Pleasant Grove and, you know, the Preston Hollow, you know, type of area alone in Dallas. Mhmm. And so just finding ways to bridge and bring different high school students together as well is I think, a vision for this next school year.
Speaker 5:The main thing this year would be to get the word out about Anchor by Family Mhmm. And get the word out about helping out with the recreation center, the building, the land, and all of that. So, basically, the the end goal would be this year, even though we're a couple months away, is to get the word out.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. So we're gonna do just that. So how can people get to know Anchored by Family online, social media? Like, where can people find you?
Speaker 2:We have an Instagram account that kinda, you know, portrays your story through pictures, and then we have a website. And the blog is something that we're also wanting to be more active on this fall, just with more updates about where we're going, where we're headed, what we're doing specifically. But there is a post right now about our story and, like, how we got started. And so those are some, you know, online platforms to check us out. And then yeah.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Well, guys, I am really proud to know each of you, even though we've just been talking about what you guys are doing because you guys are mentoring, and that is a huge deal. So if you didn't take any if you take away one thing from this podcast, let it be this, you can mentor.