Faith, Hope & Love
Mentoring Program

Opportunities

Position: Mentor/Volunteer

Position Description: In 1996, FHL’s story began in response to a tragic shooting that left the world missing a young man with a passion for mentoring children. To honor the man’s legacy and make a difference in his community, Faith Hope & Love Mentoring was born. Since its inception, over 3,000 volunteers have helped 800 inner-city children achieve their full academic potential. 

Our Mission is to spiritually and academically mentor inner-city children so that they may grow up to be strong and resilient. The Goal is for every child who enters the program to be performing at or above grade level within one year of entry. Since 1996, 796 out of the 800 children have accomplished this goal. 

One-on-one mentoring is the crux of FHL. One child is paired with one adult each day Monday through Thursday. In surveying thirty-five child-focused nonprofits in Charlotte, FHL was the only one to offer one-on-one mentoring four days per week. We found that many afterschool programs offer mentoring one day per week or do group style lessons, but the one-on-one model between mentor and child allows each child to build trust and social confidence and ultimately academic excellence. More deeply, we exercise a five-fold family approach between schoolteacher, child, mentor, parent, and counsellor. Each child is recommended to us by Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. We form relationships with teachers regarding the child’s behavior and academic development. Then, each mentor meets the specific needs of each child. Parents receive cooking, financial planning, and parenting classes and crisis assistance if necessary. The children and parents receive counselling as needed through the counselling service we partner with. 

Roughly 80% of the children currently attending FHL live near Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Tuckaseegee Road. According to Mecklenburgcountync.gov’s demographic map viewer, the neighborhoods in this area have the highest dropout numbers, the highest unemployment rates, and the lowest median household incomes in all of Mecklenburg county. With most of the children growing up in neighborhoods deemed as unstable, FHL is a safe haven for them. Each day begins with snack time and prayer followed by an extracurricular activity such as art or sports lessons, and it ends with one hour of one-on-one mentoring. We are immensely grateful to the eighty-eight volunteers who helped FHL thrive in 2022. 

In committing to the development of the whole child - spiritual, academic, physical, and emotional – this unique program gives every child a chance to succeed in life despite potentially significant obstacles. 

Interested? Visit https://www.fhlmentoring.com/become-a-mentor.