MentorKids Stories & Updates
Press releases, MentorMoments, announcements, reflections, and real-life updates from across our Promise Neighborhoods.
The seed of a vision begins to sprout…
"When asked if we’d open a Promise Neighborhood in Maryvale, I gave my usual response: 'Sure, if we had the right partner, location, staff, and funding.' Little did I know that within four months, we’d launch a summer program for 50 children in the heart of Maryvale—an answer to prayer, fueled by God’s provision and a divine partnership with Unidos en una Visión Church."
“Have you ever considered opening a new Promise Neighborhood in Maryvale?”
I’ve been asked to consider starting a Promise Neighborhood in hundreds of places over the years, so I didn’t think much of the question at the time.
I gave my usual answer of “Sure. If we had the right partner, location, staff, and funding...and if the neighborhood residents were on board...I’d love to.” Little did I know that less than 4 months later we would be launching a summer program in Maryvale!!!
Through a series of meetings, conversations, and prayers we were introduced to an amazing church partner (Unidos en una Vision) in the heart of a Maryvale neighborhood that has the highest poverty rate in the entire Cartwright School District (which serves Maryvale). Unidos en una Vision Church moved onto its new Maryvale campus near 67th Avenue and Indian School Road (west Phoenix) in October of 2021. It has a vision to reach the local neighborhood through youth and family programs. They were looking for the right partner to kick things off.
We hit it off immediately and decided to take one step at a time, asking God to confirm this decision by opening doors (or closing them). God provided summer program funding through a grant from the First Baptist Church Foundation and our Annual Golf Event (more details on that below).
The church mobilized its congregation to provide staff. Our team designed the summer program and trained the staff in record time. Church leadership recruited kids in partnership with the local school (Heatherbrae Elementary School) and neighborhood residents. The result? A summer program in Maryvale for 50 children in grades K – 6th lasting from June 20th to July 14th.
It’s happening!!! The seeds of a new Promise Neighborhood are being planted!
25 years ago, our founder, Orv Krieger, said “yes” to God at age 75 and started MentorKids. 25 years later, we seek to say “yes” to God every day as He invites us into deeper relationships with kids, families, and (new) neighborhoods.
I'm looking forward to seeing how God moves you to engage more deeply in the work He is doing through MentorKids. Thanks for being part of it.
Until next time -
Aaron Parrott, Executive Director
Celebrating 25 years by giving.
"Less than four months after being asked about opening a Promise Neighborhood in Maryvale, God opened doors we could never have imagined. With Unidos en una Visión Church as our partner, we launched a summer program for 50 children—planting the seeds for a new Promise Neighborhood and saying 'yes' to God’s call once again."
As part of our 25th Anniversary Celebration, we invited our Palomino iLEADers to tell us what they would do to bless their Promise Neighborhood with a budget of $250. After reviewing the plans, we selected Luis’ project. Luis researched, planned, organized, and led a “Carnival” style event for the younger kids in the Palomino Promise Neighborhood complete with pizza, juice boxes, carnival games, and LOTS of candy for prizes.
Luis, who is currently a freshman iLEADer, grew up in MentorKids and has been part of our program for seven years! As an iLEADer, he now has a part-time job tutoring and mentoring the younger kids in the Palomino Promise Neighborhood. This project gave him the opportunity to bless the kids he is mentoring while also putting the leadership skills he's been learning at MentorKids to practice. Take a look at the short video above by clicking here - I hope you'll see how meaningful this experience was for Luis and the kids.
Join us as we Pay It Forward all year!
Here are two ways YOU can join with our iLEADers to Pay It Forward this 25th Anniversary year.
Sponsor a Celebration Project with your designated gift of $250. These funds will be used to carry out another project designed and led by our iLEADers. Sponsor one, two, or three projects - the more funds donated, the more projects we’ll have!! Be sure to check the box indicating that you're funding a Celebration project when you give online.
Join the Celebration Project Selection Committee that will read the project proposals written by our iLEADers and then select projects to fund. The vote on our next round of applications will happen via Zoom during our Town Hall on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Thank you for supporting our iLEADers as they help us grow the next generation of leaders in their neighborhoods!!! And thank you for helping us celebrate 25 years of changing the world, one life at a time!
Aaron Parrott, Executive Director
Be Like Orv: How One Man's Faith at 78 Built Something That Outlasted Him
"At 78, Orv Krieger answered God’s call to found MentorKids, stepping out in faith when many would have stepped back. Now, 25 years later, we honor his legacy, celebrate the lives impacted through mentoring, and embrace our future through the Promise Neighborhood model—empowering young leaders to create lasting change in their communities."
In my office, I have the picture of the man who founded MentorKids 25 years ago, Orv Krieger. I did not know Orv personally (he passed away in 2003, two years before I joined MentorKids) but I keep his picture to remind me of a few important things.
First, we stand on the shoulders of giants who have gone before us.
While Orv spearheaded the founding of the organization in 1997, he did it in collaboration with many of his friends, business partners, and family members. Since then, so many amazing people and groups have come around the ministry as board members, staff members, financial supporters, prayer partners, volunteers, ministry partners, and business partners. During this special 25th year celebration, we wish to honor the people and groups God has used to build, sustain, and grow MentorKids over the years.
Second, MentorKids does not belong to me.
In fact, it didn’t belong to Orv either. At age 78, at the tail end of his successful business career, God touched Orv’s heart in a powerful way.
Orv felt a passion to reach young people in an effort to keep them out of prison so that they could live healthy, productive lives and live out their full, God-given potential through one-on-one mentoring. Fueled by this passion and calling, Orv founded Phoenix MatchPoint, which was renamed MentorKids USA in 2004. Orv knew, and I remind myself every day, that our calling comes from God and this ministry belongs to God. As we honor those who came before us, we also want to celebrate the new calling God has given MentorKids to impact lives through the Promise Neighborhood model.
Third, when God calls, we can step out in faith.
Orv was 78 when he founded MatchPoint. 78! Think about that. He could have made many excuses to NOT start a nonprofit. He could have spent his time with his wife, Mary, visiting his 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, golfing, or, quite frankly, doing whatever he wanted.
But God called him...and he stepped forward in faith at age 78. Today, 25 years later, we sense a strong and clear calling to move forward with the Promise Neighborhood model of building up young leaders who are equipped to impact their own neighborhoods, creating a cycle of positive sustainable change within struggling neighborhoods.
As we turn 25 years old, we invite you to join us as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and step forward in faith toward an exciting and powerful future. Throughout the year we will have several hands-on and “out of the box” opportunities to engage in new ways with MentorKids. We encourage you (and ourselves) to “be like Orv” and step out in faith as, together, we change the world: One Child, One Family, One Neighborhood at a time.
Aaron Parrott, Executive Director
A New Year - A Big Milestone
As we enter our 25th year of service to our communities, we want to pause to thank every person who has invested their time, talent, or treasure to be part of what God is doing in the hearts and lives of our kids, their families, and their communities. We invite you to join us as we honor the past, celebrate this present, and anticipate what God will do in the future as we continue in our mission to:
