KENNEWICK, Wash.- NBC Right Now is teaming up with the Ignite Youth Mentoring Program this month to celebrate National Mentor Month.
Most things in life take time. Time to ignite, and grow.
Like the friendship sparked between Mike Babenko and Timmy Luna.
It began exactly one-year and one-month ago.
Ignite Mentor Mike Babenko said, "It's kind of weird when you first start because you don't know the person and you're kind of brand new so it takes a while to build that trust and open up, but we talk about a lot more stuff than we did when we first met that's for sure."
10-year-old Timmy Luna said he was excited to see Mike.
"I'm happy that he's my mentor," said Luna.
The Ignite Mentor Program asks for a one year commitment from Mentors and Mentees to have the time for developing trusting friendships.
"We were playing ping pong and we got done and that's when Timmy said, I want you to be my mentor until I'm in college. And that kind of just put it into perspective that it's not just a short term thing...it can really be a long term impact in his life," said Babenko.
So, Timmy Luna said he is going to make Mike sign a contract to be his mentor until he turns 18 years-old.
Even though the month is drawing to a close, local mentors will continue to ignite hope in the lives of kids in our area.
Ignite is always looking for mentors and kids between 8 and 16 years old to join.
Ignite Youth Mentoring Program, Tri-Cities
(509) 948-3143
www.igniteyouthmentoring.com
Ignite hope... One child at a time.
