MentorKids Stories & Updates
Press releases, MentorMoments, announcements, reflections, and real-life updates from across our Promise Neighborhoods.
MentorMoments: The Power of Showing Up
Real transformation rarely happens all at once.
In this month’s MentorMoment, Executive Director Aaron Parrott reflects on how the small, consistent acts of mentors, volunteers, donors, and community partners can add up to lasting transformation in a young person’s life.
We love the big moments.
But those moments rarely begin where we think they do.
The truth is, they’re usually built on hundreds of smaller ones.
Crissangel has been part of MentorKids since kindergarten. Year after year, he came back. And along the way, he has grown academically, socially, and spiritually. He has learned to communicate, take responsibility, build healthy relationships, and recognize his own potential.
Today, as a ninth-grade iLEADer, he’s encouraging and leading younger students.
That transformation didn’t happen because of one extraordinary day.
It happened because people kept showing up.
A mentor showed up again. A staff member offered another word of encouragement. Someone prayed. A donor gave another monthly gift. A volunteer served one more afternoon.
None of those moments, by themselves, may have seemed extraordinary.
But consistency compounds.
We often underestimate what faithfulness can accomplish over time. Little things, done faithfully day after day, become the foundation where growth, trust, and transformation take root.
That’s true in our own lives—and it’s true at MentorKids.
Monthly supporters provide stability. Volunteers build trusted relationships. Prayer surrounds our work. Board members provide leadership. Churches, businesses, and community partners keep walking alongside us.
“Little things, done faithfully day after day, become the foundation where
growth, trust, and transformation take root.”
Different gifts. One shared commitment.
Showing up—again and again—for the next generation.
The big moments matter because of everything that happened in between them.
What could you consistently bring?
Maybe it’s a few hours each month as a volunteer. Maybe it’s becoming a PromiseGiver and giving monthly. Maybe it’s exploring board service, praying regularly for a Promise Neighborhood, or finding another place where your gifts can strengthen this work.
You don’t have to do something flashy to change a life.
Most transformation isn’t flashy. It’s found in the quiet faithfulness of people who choose to show up again tomorrow.
Find your place. Keep showing up.
Until Next Time,
Aaron Parrott
Executive Director, MentorKids USA
Continue the Journey
Each month, MentorMoments brings you a new reflection from Aaron, along with stories of students, leaders, and the people who keep showing up across our Promise Neighborhoods.
Want to take the next step?
There are many ways to be part of what’s happening across our Promise Neighborhoods—volunteer, become a PromiseGiver, pray for a neighborhood, or simply help someone discover MentorKids.
July MentorMoments
Water fights, camp stores, splash pads, and butterfly landings—this summer was full of joy. But behind every laugh was something bigger: growth, confidence, and transformation. Watch the newest MentorMoments video, Kids Say the Smartest Things, and hear what students had to say about their favorite moments—and how their lives are being shaped through mentorship.
Happy Thursday,
It’s great to see kids having fun, isn’t it?
I witnessed the same thing at all 5 of our Summer Enrichment Program sites this summer: Kids having fun.
Palomino kids chased each other with water guns; Maryvale kids slid down water slides; Tempe kids eagerly shopped at the camp store using MentorKids “bucks” they earned; Paiute kids sang and danced at VBS; and South Phoenix kids dove on the floor during a version of “musical chairs” with no chairs (not a game for adults!!).
But, amidst all the fun this summer, there was something else happening: Lives were being changed.
Justice, from our Tempe Promise Neighborhood, has had a lot of ups and downs this past year. However, this summer something changed. In the words of our team member, “Justice came alive this summer.” Something clicked this summer to the point where, on the last day of summer camp, she said, “I really liked the Bible class because I learned about what to do and what not to do in the Bible.”
Briselle (1st grade), Katherine (1st grade), Ivan (kinder), and Diego (2nd grade) from our Palomino Promise Neighborhood had a life-changing experience in the pool this summer. At first, they were terrified of the pool. Even hearing the word “pool” would bring them to tears. However, by the end of summer, they were able to jump into the pool and swim on their own to the other side...without fear.
As you watch the short video and see some of the pictures from this summer, know that YOU were a part of impacting over 300 lives this summer. On behalf of the children and families we serve, thank you!!!
Until Next Time,
Aaron Parrott
Executive Director, MentorKids USA
Kids Say the Smartest Things — A Summer Snapshot
Filmed entirely by our own student leaders, this short video captures the joy, growth, and insight that bloom when young minds are nurtured through mentorship, academic support, and fun-filled enrichment programs.
In this special edition of MentorMoments, Executive Director Aaron Parrott sits down with students from our Tempe Promise Neighborhood to reflect on their favorite summer moments—making new friends, learning life lessons, going on unforgettable field trips, and creating memories that will last all year long.
Now in its second year of summer programming, the Tempe Promise Neighborhood—led by Neighborhood Manager Brittany Carrillo—continues to grow into a vibrant hub for connection, learning, and leadership development.
Watch the video—you’ll laugh, you’ll smile, and you’ll remember why this work matters.
Shop. Swipe. Support MentorKids.
We’re now part of Fry’s Community Rewards!
Every time you shop at Fry’s, you can help MentorKids earn quarterly donations at no extra cost to you. Just link your Fry’s Shopper’s Card to MentorKids USA (VD161) in the app or online.
It only takes a minute:
Open the Fry’s app
Tap the three lines (top right)
Select Rewards > Community Rewards
Choose “MentorKids USA” as your organization
Once it’s set, every grocery run helps us serve more kids across Phoenix. The more supporters who link their card, the more impact we can make, together.
Stay Connected with MentorKids
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