January is National Mentoring Month, and Dallas Capital Bank is proud to partner with Dallas organizations that better the lives of our city’s youth! National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote youth mentoring throughout the United States. Dallas Capital Bank believes that today’s youth are our future – and it benefits all of us to be investing in the lives of young people. Our Executive Vice President of Commercial Banking, Jason Matthews, has been a significant supporter of Forerunner Mentoring, having recently completed a three-year term as a Board Member.
Forerunner Mentoring is a Dallas based, non-profit organization that provides young boys with absent fathers with a positive male role model through a mentoring relationship and an after-school program. The overall goal of the organization is to help the mentees (referred to as “forerunners”) to feel loved and cared for – and help provide them with a man in their life that they can trust and count on.
“Serving on the Board of Directors for Forerunner Mentoring over the past three years has been a life-changing experience for me,” said Matthews. “Working with an organization that is bettering the lives of Dallas’ youth and their families is an honor and privilege. We have so many dedicated mentors, volunteers and employees – and seeing their love for and desire to help the kids in our community has been inspiring.”
“We’re a grassroots organization, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without the help of volunteers like Jason,” said Zach Garza, Executive Director of Forerunner. “Forerunner is all about people and relationships, and Jason’s tireless commitment while serving on the Board of Directors and serving as a mentor to me, as the Executive Director, has left a lasting impact on the lives of Dallas’ youth and those who serve them.”
As one current forerunner recently commented, “My favorite moment with my mentor was when he told me ‘I love you’ when he dropped me off at home one day after we had spent time together. I will never forget that. He’s taught me how to fish, what different bible verses mean and he taught me how to be a responsible, gentle, caring and respectful man through his actions. Before I met my mentor, I didn’t trust anyone, but once I developed a relationship with him, I knew I could trust him with my life.”
Forerunner Mentoring was founded in 2011 with six volunteers and has grown to 75 volunteers today. Of those 75 total volunteers, 35 are mentors to the boys in the program. Since its inception, Forerunner has focused on helping boys with absent fathers regain self-confidence, improve their academic performance and support their single moms by identifying potential employment opportunities, securing housing options and providing overall support. Forerunner is proud to report that more than 90 percent of the forerunners that have graduated from high school are now attending college.
To learn more about Forerunner Mentoring and how you can have a positive impact in the lives of Dallas’ youth, please visit their website at www.forerunnermentoring.com or email at hello@forerunnermentoring.com.