Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: Going for 100
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on February 23, 2018 11:38 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Seventh grader De'Marrius Turnage poses for a photo with John Barnes, his mentor from the 100 Fold Mentoring Program, in the hallway of Dillard Middle School Thursday.
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Mark Colebrook discusses one of the students in the 100 Fold Mentoring Program in the hallway with assistant principal Jamel Jones Thursday at Dillard Middle School.
De'Marrius Turnage has his sights on one day becoming an entrepreneur and opening his own sporting goods store.
The 13-year-old, seventh-grader has a lot of things he enjoys, but basketball is likely near the top of his list. Some of his interests and future aspirations are the kinds of things his mentor, John Barnes, really wants to know.
Barnes, the chief executive officer of Rebuilding Broken Places, a local community development corporation, recently connected with De'Marrius in the 100 Fold Mentoring Program.
The program is a grass-roots effort that matches Dillard Middle School girls and boys with mentors and seeks to build supportive relationships for life.
Barnes, who grew up in what used to be considered the slums of Goldsboro -- the north end of town -- has led a successful life in upper-level management and continues as the leader of a local nonprofit.
As a young boy, he and his five brothers were raised by a single mother. A bright point in his life was having mentors and role models from church. The experience made a world of difference in his younger years in helping to shape the man he is today.
"I know it helped me," he said. "If it wasn't for mentors in my life, there's no telling where I would be.
"I want to do what I can to help young fellas realize they can succeed in life. They just have to have a goal and path and have someone help them find it."
De'Marrius was encouraged by his mother to be a part of the program, which matches up teens with adult mentors with the same interests. He also sees the program as helping him achieve more in life.
"She said, 'You're going to need people in your life,'" De'Marrius said, of his mother. "I think it's useful because people need people in the future. Older people can help me get out and make a way for myself, provide on my own."
John and De'Marrius were recently paired in the program, which started matching adults with teens in November. So far, they've been able to spend time getting to know each other. They've hung out, went to get pizza and John took De'Marrius to the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. community luncheon, where he learned about the value of cultural and racial diversity. He remembers learning that everyone has similarities, even though they are different from each other. He also learned that it's possible to do great things in life.
John is talking with De'Marrius about some of the things they can do and places they can go together.
"We're going to sit down and figure out what he wants to do and plan from there," John said.
They're talking about visiting colleges, a sporting goods store, going to area basketball games and traveling to Raleigh to walk through a museum and eat dinner. De'Marrius would be thrilled to see a Duke basketball game.
John sees the mentoring program as offering teens a chance to do things they enjoy, while finding an adult they can trust. They also get an opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and travel to places they may otherwise never go.
"Some of these kids may never leave town," he said. "We want to get them involved in the community and take them to see things they've never seen before."
The 100 Fold Mentoring Program is operated under the umbrella of the Mary Wooten Harvey Foundation nonprofit. The program has so far enrolled 20 adults and 20 middle school students, mostly boys, said Mark Colebrook, a board member of the nonprofit. Mentors come from different backgrounds, including nonprofits, education, real estate and the military.
"It's something for them to give back to the community," Colebrook said. "They like the middle school, as well, because that's where they feel they can make a difference."
The mentees are also boys and girls with different needs.
"We have some that are struggling academically," Colebrook said. "We have some that are struggling from a discipline standpoint, and we have some that are struggling with social skills."
Mentors must be 25 years of age and older. They need to pass a criminal background check, have a valid driver's license and car insurance, finish a training program and be able to devote at least two hours a week to their mentee.
Mentors receive training through a nationally accredited trainer with Dream Builders Communication.
Applications for mentors, especially men, are always being accepted. The program is intended to match mentors with mentees on a longterm basis. After students move on to high school, mentors will be needed for more students at Dillard Middle School, Colebrook said.
"We're always actively recruiting because that goal is to have a mentor transition with the mentee," he said.
The program first started in an effort to match 100 male mentors with 100 young men and expanded to include female mentors and young women.
The vision for starting the program, in 2017, resulted from adults who were looking for ways to save children in the Goldsboro area, said Bobby Harvey, president of the foundation.
An increase in violent crime also played a role.
"The MWH Foundation created the 100 Fold program, with the goal of reaching 100 children of all walks of life and pairing them with positive role models to facilitate their growth," Harvey said.
"We plan to reach more schools and more kids each year, and slowly we will turn the tide and see the difference in our community, giving encouragement and strength to our next generation of leaders."
The 100 Fold Mentoring Program is funded primarily through local charitable contributions, which help pay for mentor training and other program activities.
The foundation, located at 200 W. Ash St., can be reached at 919-222-1419.