Adults, children share bonds of mentoring

Seven-year-old Melissa Becerra likes to read books about cats, and she has dreams of becoming a veterinarian, ballerina or professional shopper when she grows up.

She smiles while talking about her family, chuckling to herself at the thought of her little brother, who she said is big for a 4-year-old.

Every week, Melissa shares these and other details that shape the world of a second-grader with her friend, Wendy Albano.

Under ordinary circumstances, Melissa's friendship with Albano, a physical therapist with Olympic Physical Therapy in Mount Pleasant, would be unlikely.

However, their bond has grown thanks to the power of mentoring.

Like Albano, local mentors are living the phrase "It takes a village to raise a child" in hopes that their service will affect the lives of area youths.

"It's just an hour a week. You get so much out of it, just being able to spend your time with the kids," Albano said.

While January is National Mentoring Month, one program building lasting relationships year-round, and the program Albano volunteers through, is I-Beam.

The I-Beam mentoring program uses literacy to build the self-esteem and social skills of Mount Pleasant's at-risk children.

The initiative is the result of a collaboration between the East Cooper Ecumenical Mission Network and area schools.

"The main idea of this is not so much to teach reading, it's to build self-esteem," said Sue Nogawick, chairman of one of I-Beam's core teams. "Hopefully, by sharing our love of reading with the child, they'll turn more to reading. Then there will be more readers in their house, and hopefully it'll break the poverty chain eventually down the road."

Nogawick said there are more than 60 mentors at James B. Edwards Elementary in Mount Pleasant, where Melissa goes to school. Two adults are assigned per child, allowing the mentors to tag team in case someone is unable to visit.

"I love to read, and I have four kids that love it, too, so I thought this is a way for me to maybe share that with the kids that are here," Albano said as Melissa played with the pages of her book of choice, "Dewey's Christmas at the Library."

"I think it's great that there are so many volunteers that are taking the time to come and share this with the school here."

During a typical visit, Albano and other mentors spend 30 minutes reading with mentees in the school's library, followed by a 30-minute lunch break among the chatter of elementary school students.

"I sit down and I start to talk about something like my house," Melissa said of her lunchtime chats with Albano. "I have fun at my house with my friends."

"The cafeteria is always a fun experience," Albano added, in reference to lunch with Melissa and the surrounding children. "I get lots of hugs."

For information about I-Beam visit www.mppc.net/644465.ihtml.

Reach Christina Elmore at 937-5908.