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Steven
was 15 and struggling with severe depression and anxiety when he came
to Compeer, and had suffered several traumatic events in his life,
including the death of his father. His grades at school were terrible
and his low self-esteem was causing him to isolate himself from others.
Compeer matched Steven with Tom, a 32 year-old Compeer volunteer. It
has been three years, and with Tom's support and mentorship, Steven
will be starting college. He also has relationships outside of his
family and Tom, and participates in community activities. Steven looks
forward to talking to Tom on the phone when he is away at college.
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Nathan
has been matched with Chris for just over a year, and he has already
made great progress. Chris grew up in many residential settings after
being removed from his family due to neglect. Nathan has a background of working with people who have disabilites, and can relate to youth of all ages. He
has been a caring friend to Chris when he truly needed it most. He is
aware of Chris' needs and celebrates his successes. They enjoy games,
movies, plays, and bowling, and Chris is welcomed at Nathan's family
get-togethers, where he interacts and socializes with other kids.
Nathan also talks to Chris' counselor so that they can work together to
get Chris what he needs. Chris has made wonderful improvements due to
the presence of Nathan in his life.
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Anne came to Compeer because she wanted to share her time and energy with someone that could benefit from it. Hailey
was only 8, but she had problems at home and school. Many would have
given up, but Anne believed in Hailey, and was able to see the sweet
little girl that she would become. Over the last seven years, the two
have had fun sledding, going to the playground, eating ice cream and
turning Anne's home into a restaurant or a school. Anne's
consistency and dependability made a big difference last year when
Hailey's life was turned upside-down with family changes, frequent
moves, and the loss of loved ones. Keeping in touch with her school and
social worker, it became very clear just how important Anne's role is
in Hailey's life. She has remained the one caring, consistent friend
and role model through it all. Hailey's ability to deal with adversity
is greatly due in part to Anne's unconditional love and guidance.
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**The names and pictures in the stories above have been changed to protect the confidentiality of each individual**
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Storytelling has the power to help us share our most common bonds of friendship and love. If you are a current or past Compeer volunteer, we would love to hear your story about your relationship with your Compeer friend, and what it means to you to be a Compeer mentor and volunteer. Click here to share your story with us.
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