Naturally, all children and adults are unique.  Recognizing the differences and similarities is a skill in which Talbot Mentors is well practiced.  Matching a caring, committed, friendly adult with a child who is in need or at high risk is Talbot Mentors (TM) purpose.

Here are three stories of very different adults who have committed to being a constant presence in multiple children’s lives. (mentees’ names are changed to respect their privacy.)

Left to right: Terry, Merrilie, Jim

Merrilie Ford, a Real Estate agent in Talbot County for 33 years, loves her profession as well as volunteering.  Fifteen years ago, with Character Counts, it was brought to her attention that a 4^th grade boy, Mike (TM no longer matches opposite sexes) wanted someone to help him with his passion for singing.  “He was a really grand kid and his mother did a lot with him, especially with music.”  Unfortunately, she had a heart problem and went to a hospital in Baltimore.  Merrilie took Mike to see her and that was the last time he saw his mom.

During their time together, Merrilie and Mike would go frequently to the Academy Art Museum. “We would look at the art, but, mainly we would sit and talk on ‘our talking bench’.”   Coming to her house for dinner she taught him to set the table, and he said this simple thing was very helpful.  Mike, now 24 years old, occasionally emails and talks on the phone.

Merrilie’s second mentee, 12 yr old Sara, now 24, “hit it off” right away and to this day they can talk about anything.  Sara came from a strong family and has a wonderful grandmother.  Merrilie said “it was the normal, everyday things we do in life like going to the post office that Sara thought were fun and informative. The normal everyday living activities some kids just don’t get to experience for whatever reason – may it be lack of transportation, parents don’t have the time, or absence of extended family.”

Merrilie knew Sara loved art, so she took her to Washington, DC to see art galleries and museums. Merrilie asked if she wanted to go to a Mexican restaurant, but Sara announced she didn’t like that kind of food.  Merrilie talked her into trying the best Mexican restaurant in Washington and, consequently, Sara fell in love with Mexican food.  This lesson taught Sara that she has other “choices” and the courage to try new things.  They also took an exciting trip to New York City – lunch on Madison Ave, walking through wall-to-wall people on 57^th St and down 5^th Avenue, whereupon Sara exclaimed “THIS is New York!”.

After high school, Sara got an AmeriCorps job at the Talbot Mentors’ office for over a year, and then they offered her part-time employment. Before her job started she and a good friend took a month-long road trip to see the United States – all the way to the West Coast and back.  With the TM job responsibilities and fulfilling her passion for art, she also decided she has enough time to become a Mentor herself to a six-year-old.  Today, Merrilie keeps in touch by asking Sara to help her with things that young people are particularly connected with, like computers.

Yes, Merrilie is looking forward to being a mentor again. “Not having children of my own, rarely seeing my nieces and not having family close by, Talbot Mentors has given me a broader family and a support system.  Mentors and mentees I’ve come to know as friends are some of the nicest people that I wouldn’t otherwise have met.  Mentoring is way for me to have a youth experience in my life and it keeps my finger in the community of kids.”.  Knowing she has a good support system with Talbot Mentors and years of experience, she looks forward to a new mentee.

Ten years ago, Jim Reed, upon retirement as a general contractor, was encouraged by good friends to become a mentor to a child. Jim’s first mentee, Tony, 12, had a father who was only occasionally present in his life. Tony had waited on the TM list for two years before Jim came along.  After five years, Tony’s father returned to the family and it was decided that he no longer needed a Mentor. In time, unfortunately, Tony’s especially close grandfather died and Tony began spiraling downhill.  Jim did his best to meet with him for dinner and talk on the phone.  Recently he ran into Tony’s mom in the store, and she tearfully thanked Jim for being her son’s Mentor.

After Jim and Tony’s “official” match ended, nine-year-old Ricky was matched with Jim and they were together for a total of seven years.  Within the fifth year, Ricky’s father rejoined the family and they moved to the northernmost part of the Eastern Shore.  Heartened to learn that Ricky’s deepest regret about the relocation was “We can’t be mentor and mentee anymore.”  Committed to making the weekly over-an-hour drive, Jim continued their relationship.   Eventually Ricky moved back to Easton and as a teenager he began to get into trouble, both in school and out.  Ricky’s family decided he should live with an out-of-state relative so the official mentor/mentee match was closed.  Today at almost 18, Ricky works full time with a local landscape company and Jim still meets him for dinners.

After the “official” end of this last match, Jim told Natalie Costanzo, then the TM Executive Director, that he was going to take six months off before being matched again.  Within two weeks she reported that she had the perfect mentee for him – “a great ten-year-old.”  Bobby has been his mentee for the past six months and Jim says “We are having a really good time together.”

For Jim “the official mentor/mentee relationships might end at high school graduation, but a good portion of the relationship continues to this day because I have become an adult friend to a young person who can benefit from having one.” Jim swears that “as a mentor, he gets far more from it than the mentees do.”  He feels “it is an excellent use of my time and it has been a pleasure in the long run.”  He also knows each mentor/mentee relationship is unique.

Terry Harwood

At onetime Terry supervised 6,000 employees in the hotel business. Corporate life is stressful. Mentoring is fun.  In 1988 he started mentoring at-risk youth as a trustee at Living Classrooms Foundation in Baltimore, a hands-on educational enrichment and job training program. Now retired from the corporate world, he is having fun (“being goofy”) as a teammate with youth here in Talbot County.

When he moved to Easton in 2002, Terry first became a volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates;a youth leader; and youth care provider. Terry’s first Talbot Mentor match was in 2004-5; four other young men followed over the next 12 years. Terry enjoys remaining a mentor to all of them. When being together with a mentee he enjoys asking the question “What works for YOU and why?” Listening to the answers, he learns what is meaningful for them to do together: activity today, career, school programs, family, teamwork.   Teamwork with his mentees is fostered by meeting with them regularly.  He found he also spent time helping their parents find jobs, helped the mentees with college scholarships, talked about career choices and job applications and interviews.  “Sometimes we just walked around town to see what is behind the doors of businesses.”

As the kids “age out” at 18, Terry has continued their relationships as well as relationships with their parents and advisors. He introduces the concept of “listen, learn and love” as a powerful tool for the mentee to embrace. “Listen to another person. Learn from that person. Love that person by being a teammate in their success.”

By phone or in person, he asks his mentees questions to help them make a plan for the “next baby-step”.  In Terry’s professional experience the “next baby-step” is particularly important. He feels it conveys a learning to help the mentee better his practical, emotional and spiritual life. Terry feels he is doing what the “Lord gives me to do for His children.”

If being a Mentor is of interest to you, or perhaps someone you know, please feel free to contact Talbot Mentors at 410-770-5999 or go to: https://talbotmentors.org/  There are a number of children waiting for a special friend, possibly you.

Written by Meredith Watters on behalf of Talbot Mentors

Dozens of mentees—plus their families and mentors—personified holiday spirit at the Talbot Mentors year-end party. The kids played, ate, and filled the Teen Center at the Easton YMCA with the sort of joy that Talbot Mentors specializes in!

“We had over 100 attend, and every mentee received a holiday gift,” says Rachel White, TM’s Program and Event Coordinator for more than three years. “The gifts were generously donated by community members of Easton Club East and Talbot Mentors board members.” Indeed, with all the presents brightly wrapped, the party space looked like Santa’s workshop.

Natalie Costanzo, surrounded by mentees, mentors, families and board members.

A good measure of the party food came courtesy of the Talbot Mentors cooking group known as Food For Thought, currently composed of three high school students who work with Chef Jean Butler. On the team are Javion Emory, Yubitza Galvez, and Ty’Asia Johnson.

“Food For Thought is usually a baking group but for the TM Christmas Party we were asked if we cook the main dishes,” says TM Case Manager LaToya Brooks, who works out of the TM St. Michaels. “The kids and the chef came up with the menu, chicken enchiladas and chicken cacciatore,” she continues. Since October, the Food For Thought trio has been busy. “We have baked for two events,” says LaToya. “Our very first event was the TM Boatwright play at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and our second event was the Art & Craft Marketplace, where the kids baked pumpkin pies and sugar cookies to sell for a donation to Talbot Mentors.” A small portion of the events’ proceeds went to the bakers themselves.

The TM holiday also included a bittersweet element. It was time for everyone to say goodbye to Natalie Costanzo, the universally adored Executive Director of Talbot Mentors who with her family is leaving the organization to head back to Australia.

TM’s new Executive Director, Gerson Martinez, sums up the festive holiday party this way: “The evening was a testament to the strength of Natalie’s leadership of this organization. It was truly inspiring to see so many joyful children and families celebrating Natalie with their mentors,” he said, adding, “I am so thrilled and humbled to take on this responsibility going forward.”

Here’s to a vibrant and joy-filled New Year!

For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer as a mentor, call Talbot Mentors at 410-770-5999 or visit www.talbotmentors.org.

A NASA scientist, a fashion designer, an accomplished equestrian, a competitive basketball player? This summer, Talbot Mentors kids are having a blast as seeds for their futures are sown. Thanks to support from local groups and individuals, dozens of mentees are enjoying summer-camp days—and, in some cases, nights. While most are participating in day camps, a good many are at sleep-away camps. For some it is the first time they are away from home. For everyone it is a time of camaraderie, learning, and just plain good times.

“We got to trot!” says 8-year-old Sierra Watson, whose three days at pony camp outside Preston turned her from total novice to budding rider. She bonded with her horse, Freya, and hopes to get the chance to ride again.

In programs that range from 3 days to 2 weeks, in the mid-Atlantic and beyond—all the way to New York State—campers aged 6 to 16 are being treated to experiences of a lifetime. It’s all in keeping with the Talbot Mentors vision that “mentoring will make a significant contribution to building a Talbot County where all young people have the opportunity to lead fulfilling and rewarding lives…”

Says Talbot Mentors Executive Director Natalie Costanzo, “This is our fourteenth season of providing our mentees with life-changing camp experiences. I’m proud to say that last year Talbot Mentors funded summer camp for 47 kids. This year it’s double that number.” With some campers attending more than one session, the total number of summer camp experiences funded by Talbot Mentors tops 120.

Leadership, all manner of sports, nature, crafts, theater, photography, cooking. The themes of this summer’s camps range wide.

“The volunteers who mentor the kids get to see horizons expand,” says Natalie. “The mentees love to share their camp stories with their mentors,” she continues. “An important facet of mentoring is providing children with opportunities they might not otherwise have.”

Each child’s camp tuition is paid in full by a Talbot Mentors scholarship. Thanks go out to the Bryan Brothers Foundation, Children’s Home Foundation, Women and Girls Fund of the Mid Shore, and more than 75 private donors whose support makes this all possible. The total spent on this year’s camp program: in excess of $20,000.

The funding is changing lives in ways we can only imagine.

For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer as a mentor, call Talbot Mentors at 410-770-5999 or visit www.talbotmentors.org.

Move over Easton. Here comes Saint Michaels. Talbot Mentors is opening their second office in this tourist destination. Mentors and mentees alike are invited to come see what “a little hard work” can do. Along with a new office; Talbot Mentors welcomes a new staff member as well. Monica Curreri, a Pfeiffer University Alumni and mentor to Ma’leah Robinson, will be serving as case manager for the non-profit. During college, Monica studied sociology and psychology. Now, she uses both to usher in a diverse and creative atmosphere to the new center. Monica became a mentor after discussing the organization with a friend. When she was younger, her grandmother surrounded her with unconditional love and support. “She was one person that I could talk to and ask questions. I could learn from her. She made me feel special,” she says, “I wanted to bring that feeling to another child.” In January, Monica joined Talbot Mentors and since then, has been a positive role model to the children.

Monica Curreri

She is dedicated to the development of the Saint Michaels’ office. “It’s cool! It has grown from an empty space into a place for fun!” With her history in the food industry, Monica hopes to bring back home cooked meals. Thus, teaching the mentees valuable life skills, while also pursuing a passion.

Not only is Monica going to teach the children how to thrive in the kitchen, she also wants to begin a program for high school students. “It’s still a work in progress but I see great potential in the new area,” Monica informs, “We’re ironing out the wrinkles!” Friends First, a program where seniors and juniors are matched with sixth-graders to help them navigate every-day challenges of middle school, is one of Monica’s many projects. The high school student would benefit from Friends First by receiving community service hours and a broader college transcript, while the sixth graders will gain lasting relationships and useful advice.

St. Michaels office

“I hope to see us grow from 14 mentoring relationships to 100 in the Bay Hundred area,” she says. When asked what she loved about being a mentor, Monica replied, “It’s the feeling that you get when you notice the connection building with your mentee. I love it!” This is a promising move for Talbot Mentors. Welcome aboard, Monica. The office in Saint Michaels officially opened on May 22nd with over 25 local community members attending.

The St Michaels Office will be open on Tuesdays and Fridays till 5:30pm, and is in the back of the St Michaels Housing Authority in Dodson Avenue.

There are many more children in the Bay Hundred Area that need mentors. We are in immediate need of five new men to mentor boys in the St Michaels and Tilghman Island area. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, or know of somebody who would make a great mentor contact Natalie Costanzo today on [email protected] or 410 770 5999.

Now Jazmine is mentoring Lai’Aurii Brice, a feisty first-grader who was recently seen wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “It’s not all about me. Just mostly.” It is a fitting slogan for a little girl who doesn’t think twice about going after what she wants. The petite seven-year-old actually recruited Jazmine to be her mentor.

Here’s how that happened.

“I did not come into mentoring like most mentors do,” says Jazmine. After watching a training video during a parent/mentee introduction session at the Talbot Mentors headquarters, Jazmine and ‘Lai started playing together while ‘Lai’s mom spoke with Case Manager Javana Bowser. As ‘Lai and her mother were about to leave, the young girl looked Jazmine in the eye and said, “I know I am going to get to see you and play again because you are going to be my mentor.”

Jazmine wasn’t quite ready to sign up—and ‘Lai wasn’t quite ready to abandon her wish. “The next time I saw her,” says Jazmine, “she was here for an after-school cooking session. As soon as she saw me walk in, she said, ‘Look everyone, it’s my mentor.’ She ran over to me and gave me a hug.”

And so the match was made—early in January 2017. Most mentor/mentee pairs meet once a week. ‘Lai and Jazmine have been getting together two or three times a week—going to Pet Smart to see the animals, playing with the kittens at Talbot Humane, looking at art at the Academy Art Museum (followed by some frozen yogurt), walking around Target, and hanging out at the Mentors office after school on Wednesdays.

As a well-seasoned mentee and a Talbot Mentors staffer, Jazmine has a great grounding for being a mentor. From her various vantage points, she knows that the crux of good mentoring is individual attention. “To have someone carve out time for you means the world,” she says. “Miss Merrillee showed me that. In the time we have spent together, a world of opportunities to see the world in constructive ways has opened up for me. We went places, and she shared stories about her life. I saw, I listened, and I learned. She gave me so much.”

Now in the Mentor’s Seat, Jazmine is determined to provide the same sort of experience for ‘Lai.

Jazmine’s tool box also is enriched by her work at Talbot Mentors. She redeveloped the mentor training program to have it coincide with National Mentoring Association guidelines. She plays a key role in training new mentors, working with other staffers and Lenny Gold, who has been a Talbot Mentor for two decades. To now be a mentor herself is “almost surreal,” she says. “It’s one thing to be on staff at Talbot Mentors and another thing to actually be a mentor.”

And so she now is in the same shoes as those she trains. “I’m one of them, looking for ways to become a better mentor and choosing fun activities for my mentee. The Talbot Mentors organization helps mentors find their way when it comes to things to do with kids. The first time the two of them got together as “mentor and mentee,” Jazmine and ‘Lai pored over the Talbot Mentors “Idea a Week” list and checked off more than two dozen “must-do” activities, including walking the trails at Pickering Creek, sitting down for a soda at Hill’s, taking photographs, going fishing, and heading out for a swim at the Easton or St. Michaels community pool.

‘No matter what we do together, being with ‘Lai always reminds me of what it’s like to be little,” Jazmine says. “The enthusiasm—though she is far more outgoing than I ever was—the stubbornness, how great it is to have fun, and how good it feels to have someone pay attention to you.”

It’s not uncommon for a mentor—even one with only a couple of mentoring months under her belt—to think way down the line. Jazmine’s hopes for ‘Lai? “That’s a big question,” she says and then offers a sincere, uncomplicated answer. “She should be happy.”

For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer as a mentor, call Talbot Mentors at 410-770-5999 or visit www.talbotmentors.org.

By Sheila F. Buckmaster

Mike owner of the two local McDonalds handing the check over to Natalie Costanzo, Director of Talbot Mentors.

In January for National Mentoring Month,  Talbot Mentors partnered with the local McDonalds. McDonald’s donated a portion of every happy meal sold in January from the two restaurants in Easton to Talbot Mentors. In addition McDonalds held two McTeacher Nights in support of Talbot County Public Schools. A total of almost $3000 was raised to help local kids in Talbot County. We would like to express our thanks to the owner, Mike Meoli.

When Talbot Mentors asked the Academy Art Museum to design an anti-smoking project, Constance Del Nero, the museum’s Director of ArtReach and Community Programs, got creative. “I wanted to do something a little more unusual than the standard posters students traditionally make for such projects.” Thinking outside of the box, she came up with an art experience that would allow mentees to simulate the damage caused by smoking.

First, she showed the anti-smoking “creative team” pictures of healthy lungs and smokers’ lungs. Then, using printmaking paper, pencils, markers, charcoal, crayons, tea, and coffee, the kids really got into the project as they aggressively made a series of marks that represented the harm done by smoking. “When the lungs looked sufficiently damaged,” says Constance, “we set them aside to dry.”

Robert Thompson and Constance Del Nero showing off their artwork

Next, the kids cut out a pair of “healthy lungs” from pinkish card stock, then mounted both the healthy and damaged lungs on poster board—and added information about what makes smoking dangerous and helpful ways to get a loved one to quit.

“Having the students actively participate in degrading the lungs put them in a unique position to understand the damage caused by smoking over time,” says Constance. “I hope they were sufficiently ‘grossed out’ not to want to start in the first place.”

Constance has worked for the Academy Art Museum for five and a half years, designing field trips around museum exhibitions, working with area schools and community organizations, and designing special programs for students of all ages.

“Constance really outdid herself this time around. She came up with a powerful project that conveyed a critically important message in a way that can’t be ignored,” says Talbot Mentors Executive Director Natalie Costanzo.

For more information, to make a contribution or to volunteer as a mentor, call Talbot Mentors at 410-770-5999 or visit www.talbotmentors.org.