‘This is What These Kids Need’: John Adams Middle School Seeks Mentors for at Risk Kids

By Tara Tuckwiller, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va., The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.

Dec. 15–Dave Pitchford wondered what had become of his daughter’s schoolmate. He volunteered often at her elementary school, and he had always seen one little girl who, it became clear, didn’t have much parental support at home.

“I knew early on that if she had support, she had the potential to do whatever she wanted to do,” said Pitchford, now president of the parent involvement council at John Adams Middle School. “I saw her at the beginning of the school year last year, but I didn’t see her [at school] after that.

“I was at a ballgame — Children’s Home Society was accepting a check from the West Virginia Power [baseball] boosters,” said Pitchford, who is also on the board of Children’s Home Society. Among other things, the nonprofit runs emergency shelters for children. “Children’s Home had brought some of the children from our shelters to that game, and I saw that girl there.

“It’s great that the shelter is there for the kids. But maybe if we had a mentoring program in place, there might have been a chance we could have avoided that for her.”

Pitchford had long thought there was a need for an after-school mentoring program for at-risk kids in the John Adams area. He gets emotional when he talks about that particular little girl, who showed him that the need is so great it can’t wait any longer.

Pitchford and others have worked since the beginning of the school year to set up the program. It is almost ready to open. Children’s Home is training the mentors, and after Pitchford mentioned the program to West Virginia State University President Hazo Carter at a dinner they both attended, the university donated a coordinator to oversee the program.

St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Corridor G has provided space. St. Timothy already partners with Kenna Elementary teachers in an after-school program for Kenna students, complete with tutoring, meals and activities.

“Last semester, we supplemented with piano lessons and art activities,” said Kathy Hudnall, a St. Timothy member who also works with students with disabilities for Kanawha County Schools. “These kids are really hungry for that.”

St. Timothy has been in its new location for one year, right between Oakwood Apartments and the Lawndale Lane housing site.

“These children up here have become comfortable with our church,” Hudnall said. “Many of the teenagers will come on Sunday night — youth night — to play basketball.”

John Adams’ program is still looking for local businesses or government entities to donate money, as well as restaurants, grocery stores or other groups that would be willing to provide meals for the students. It also needs volunteer mentors, who may be paid a stipend if enough funding is available.

Experts at Children’s Home have already helped teachers at John Adams identify kids who might benefit. “We want to start with at least 30″ students, John Adams counselor Jennifer Jackfert said. “If we have enough mentors, we can help more.

“We’re looking for college students, mentors from churches, retired teachers, any parent,” Jackfert said. “Anybody could be a mentor that has a desire to help children.”

Children’s Home will conduct background checks and train the mentors. The society has been running a similar program in Morgantown for four years, in partnership with West Virginia University.

Each student’s particular needs will be assessed — grades, behavior, home situation — and he or she will be matched with a mentor who can help, said Craig Wagoner of Children’s Home.

They will go to St. Timothy after school for two hours, once or twice a week to start with. “We’re trying to work out transportation,” Wagoner said. “A lot of the kids we’re targeting don’t have transportation.”

After their schoolwork is completed, the students will be able to play basketball and participate in other activities, Jackfert said.

The program is the only one of its kind serving the John Adams area, she said. It is starting small, but organizers say they would eventually like to help more of John Adams’ 750 students — and perhaps expand to take in students from John Adams’ feeder elementaries, its high school George Washington, and maybe more of the county.

“I really think this is what these kids need,” Jackfert said. “When I work with kids and I have that one-on-one attention with them, they’re like a different kid.”

Like the little girl at the ballgame.

“I sat down beside her and asked her where she was going,” Pitchford remembered. “She said she was going somewhere for six months for treatment — for behavior, maybe.

“I gave her my cell phone number and said, ‘If you’re ever in a situation where you’re in trouble, give me a call anytime, day or night, and I’ll drop what I’m doing and come help you.’

“She never said anything, but she had tears.”

To volunteer or donate to the program, contact Dave Pitchford at 344-3423 or dpitch@att.net, or Craig Wagoner at 346-0795 or cwagoner@childhswv.org.

To contact staff writer Tara Tuckwiller, use e-mail or call 348-5189.

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.

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