Success Stories
Someone to Listen
As a child growing up in foster care, Resia Clersimat could always sense an adult with an agenda.
So when Ms. Clersimat, now 19, met her former caseworker, she was automatically suspicious of her intentions.
“After a while kids that have been in foster care know when someone is trying to get information from you,” she said. But “she was just her, she wasn’t fake or phony. She wasn’t trying to get into my business. When you’re in foster care, you don’t want to open yourself up to someone who’s going to ask you a ton of questions.”
After a few years, her caseworker was promoted; but she insisted on keeping Ms. Clersimat as her client. And when Ms. Clersimat aged out of foster care, which can be an especially tough and isolating time for a young person, the two remained close.
Supporting her goals
To this day they often hang out – going to the movies or having dinner together. And, Ms. Clersimat said, her mentor took her to get her driver’s permit and helped her set up a bank account. Beyond the practical, Ms. Clersimat's mentor has provided vital emotional support for the ambitious teen – encouraging her to pursue her passions.
“She actually, like, didn’t criticize my goals and my dreams… When a kid has something that’s important or exciting to share, she is just as interested to hear what I have to say.”
Being able to rely on people, really trust them, is a rarity for many youth in foster care, Ms. Clersimat says. All too often, people say they’ll stick by a child – only to move on and lose touch.
For example, adults Ms. Clersimat has known in the past have said to her, “ ‘Here’s my number, call me anytime.’ But when you call them you get their voicemail. You leave a message and they never call you.”
Maintaining a balanced relationship
But her relationship with her mentor has a natural, “I call you, you call me” quality to it that Ms. Clersimat treasures.
That kind of trust and support has gone a long way in helping Ms. Clersimat reach her immediate goals. She has her own apartment, goes to college and works part-time at a retail store. Her next steps are achieving those big dreams: becoming a model, a motivational speaker and a business professional.
And with her mentor’s unwavering support, she believes she’s got a chance.
“She kind of gives me my extra boost and confidence,” Ms. Clersimat says. “She’s always like, ‘if you’re really serious about it, then go for it.’ I value that.”
Katlyn and Moesha
Project 18 Mentoring provides one-on-one community-based mentoring for teens who are in foster care. The youth are between 12 and 17 years of age. The program encourages the mentor and the youth to engage in activities that develop independent living skills, which are necessary for the youth's transition into adulthood.
Katlyn Alston gave her commitment to Project 18 Mentoring after hearing about the program on a radio broadcast and following her natural passion for helping children. As Katlyn describes it, she wanted to provide "encouragement and make sure the youth grows into a responsible adult." As a mature 24-year-old, Katlyn is thoroughly involved in working with children at her church and knows that in order to be a good mentor, she has to "communicate with the child, be open, trusting, supportive, and caring."
Moesha West, a bright, cheerful and spirited 14-year-old, was referred to Project 18 by an Independent Living Specialist from VitaNova.
Katlyn and Moesha have been matched since 2010 and they both say, "the relationship is awesome!"
Katlyn diligently helps Moesha with her reading skills by taking frequent trips to the local library and picking out chapter books to read for the week. Once the book is read, they write a summary about the book. They engage in other activities, such as window shopping at the mall, going on nature walks and going to dinner. Moesha has a more positive view of her future and feels like there are adults who care about her. Katlyn is continuing to improve on her consistency and her "love for children."
The match between the two is exceptional as Katlyn is very patient and nurturing with Moesha. Katlyn had a similar experience in her childhood and believes that "there is always room for improvement and having an adult who cares about you makes a big difference." Despite her mild learning disability, Moesha is making major improvements in reading and spelling because of her irreplaceable relationship with Katlyn. And when asked what she thinks of her mentor, she always enthusiastically replies, "I like Ms. Katlyn very much!"