Helping kids is the easy answer

Why do we do the things we do? That is a question that has been asked for a very long time. My husband, Gary Walters, has been asked this repeatedly. I have been gone for the last 30 days with my family as they made their way across our country to Washington, D.C. Why did we do it?

I want to tell you a story about a little boy who went on the Kinship Partners' waiting list in May of 2006. Darin was 9 years old and living with his mother, her boyfriend and four siblings. He had never had a relationship with his dad and needed a male role model. As Darin waited for a Kinship Partner, trials in his life continued. Conversations with his mother solidified the need for a partner.

In January of 2009 I received an application for a male mentor for Darin, more than 2-1/2 years after he was placed on our waiting list. Randy was in his 50s and all of his kids had left home. He wanted to do something for kids in need and thought Kinship Partners was a way to help. In February 2009, Randy and Darin were matched.

Earlier this month we had a "Welcome Home" party for our Wacky Adventure. Randy attended this party with his wife. Gary and I had a wonderful conversation with them about how Darin has fit into their family and how he was coming out of his shell. I could tell that Randy had made a difference in Darin's life.

Why do we do it? I think you can see why we did it. Currently Kinship Partners has 55 kids on the waiting list, 39 of these are boys. As Gary would say, "If a short, fat, middle-age guy can do something as crazy as Rollerblading to Washington, D.C., everybody should be able to give some time to mentoring a kid." Take the first step to become a mentor and call Kinship Partners today at 829-4606 or (877) 730-5437. Or go online at www.kinshippartners.org.