KENT COUNTY, Mich — If you feel like there is never enough time in the day, Janine Conway's story proves there's still enough to make a difference.
The determined mother is the force behind the Northview Mentor Program, established in 2005.
"My daughter, at that time, was in high school and said, Mom, you need to do something with middle school kids," Conway explained. "Just to say, how you doing? How's it like at home? What are you going through? Not your grades stink. You haven't been in school. Just, how are you?"
The program began by linking administrators and volunteers with students at Crossroads Middle School.
"In my limited vision, I thought we'd mentor 30 kids a year, and that would be enough," Conway told FOX 17 News. "Within three months of starting, we had 60 community members that said, we want to do this. So we found more kids, and then very quickly, we realized every single kid is at risk. Every kid is at risk for something, so we want everyone to have a mentor."
Mentors are asked to invest 15 minutes of their time each week.
"15 minutes is the secret sauce," explained Conway. "Everybody asks us, what can you do in 15 minutes? But in 15 minutes, a kid can be seen, a kid can be heard, a kid could be known that they matter."
The program has grown to reach more than 200 students a year, often leading to lifelong friendships.
"We've got matches from 20 years ago that still are involved in each other's life, which is so cool to see that," she said. "We've had comments such as, my mentor saved my life. My mentor taught me a new way of life that I didn't know was available. It's just, you know, encourage them to go to college. Encourage them to make it through school, encourage them to come another day."
Lindsay Haveman, a social worker at Crossroads Middle School, praised Conway's work. “Janine has such a special, special gift,” Haveman said. “I cannot tell you how many lives she has touched, both students and adults bringing mentors in from the community.” Haveman added, “I'm just so very grateful that she belongs to Northview and that she's here with us.”
Conway credits the program’s success to the community.
“We really are making a difference, and that's a Northview... It's a very unique community here where we take very seriously that it takes our whole village to raise a kid. So our whole community is behind this,” she said.
Conway said there is a need for more volunteers to combat the waiting list for 7th- and 8th-graders at Crossroads.
To learn more about the Northview Mentor Program, scan the QR code below or click here.
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Month, Conway receives a $550 prize.
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