What does it mean to be a sponsor for an A Bridge For Kids teen? It means that you can provide financial assistance that will lessen the financial burden on an already stressed teen and that teen can buy supplies to create an exhibit that will allow her to enter a Science Fair. It means that a teen can buy new athletic shoes rather than wear the hand me down shoes that are torn and worn down. It means that a teen who has never left San Diego can take one of the college campus tours ABFK offers, free of charge, be exposed to a variety of campuses and learn that attending college is not a pipedream.
Financial sponsorship also allows you to have a 1-1 relationship with the student, at first through an ABFK email (that is given to you when you become a sponsor) and then, if you both agree, you can meet in person. Through this mentorship opportunity, you can provide that teen support and guidance during his/her journey through high school and into college. It means that you can develop a relationship with a teen who may or may not have loving and supportive parents, and when those parents are not able to envision college as a possibility for their child and/or do not know how to coach the teen through the application process, you can. It is the joy of meeting the teen for lunch and dinner to celebrate an accomplishment, discuss their progress, and catch up on what is happening in their life. It is also the joy of keeping in touch with the teen even after he/she has progressed out of the program and seeing them achieve their dreams in college and beyond.
Watching your sponsored teen grow and blossom is a rewarding experience. While mentoring really takes very little time, the effect that your interest, support and guidance can have on a teen’s life will impact him/her for a lifetime.
To get more information please contact Grace Jo @ gjo@abridgeforkids.org
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