What A Promise Looks Like: Inside Look Into Mentor A Promise

by Nafissatou Yattassaye, Volunteer Writer and Reporter at Mentor A Promise

Promise by Feng Yu

In NYC shelters, 1 in 7 students are homeless, yet, the city cannot tell us how many live in shelters. This is a story, a part of a larger series that helps uncover that hidden number and reveals the daily struggles of children navigating school from shelter life, making visible the students the system overlooks. When families often enter or leave the shelter system, support disappears just as quickly as it may arrive. But for two mothers, one who immigrated from Honduras with her two children and another who immigrated from Guinea with her three children, mentorship did not end when their housing situations changed.

Through Mentor A Promise, their children found more than help with reading and math. Families who are a part of Mentor A Promise are a part of a system that provides consistency, care, and mentors who genuinely show up. Support came in the form of weekly follow-up sessions, assistance during homework time, and mentors who listened and dedicated time to getting to know everyone on a personal level. As these families navigated life after the shelter system, Mentor A Promise became a safe place of comfort and growth, providing not only academic support but also a sense of being seen, supported, and connected during times of transition and difficult times.

I had the opportunity to interview two mothers, Ms. Berry and Sarah (a pseudonym), who entrusted their children to the support of Mentor A Promise.

Ms. Berry immigrated to the United States from Guinea, and her now 17 and 14-year-old children came from Guinea in 2021. Her now 11-year-old child has been in the United States since the age of 1. Since joining Mentor a Promise in 2022, she said the program has played an important role in helping her children adjust academically in a new country. “They help with homework and assignments,” she explained, adding that the tutoring has been especially helpful because her older children were still adjusting after immigrating. “Coming to the United States, school was different, and they needed extra support.” Looking ahead, she shared her hopes for the future, saying, “I’m still looking to stick with them long term for schooling and support,” emphasizing how important the program has become for her family.

After leaving the shelter, Sarah (a pseudonym) eagerly chose to keep her children in the mentorship program with MAP. "When they asked if I wanted to keep going, I didn’t hesitate. I said yes," she told me over the phone as her voice filled with gratitude. Her children received in-person support through MAP Roots, where mentors worked directly with them during their time in the shelter. She described this face-to-face support as a lifeline. "They help the children a lot," she said warmly. "My son now lights up in reading and math; he’s grown so much."

As her family transitioned out of the shelter system, the support did not end. Instead, it shifted online to MAP Connect, which has also been in partnership with the Learn To Be platform for over 6 years.[1] Through online sessions, Sarah’s (a pseudonym) children continued working with mentors they knew from the shelter who consistently checked in weekly and provided academic support. She emphasized the importance of consistency, especially during a period of change, and she was grateful for all Mentor A Promise has done for her. “My daughter feels very comfortable with this program”.

Sarah (a pseudonym) also shared how meaningful the mentors’ attention had been from the beginning. “They gave my children a lot of attention,” she said, adding that her daughter became especially connected to the program. “My daughter talks a lot about the program because she became very close with her mentor. She sees her mentor as her best friend.” For her family, the transition from Map Roots to Learn To Be showed that mentorship could adapt and remain present, even as their circumstances changed.

I had the chance to also speak with a few members of the Mentor A Promise MAP Roots and MAP Connects mentors who worked closely with the family of Sarah (a pseudonym). Esmirna Garcia is one of the many who work as operational support for MAP Connect, which works with families that desire online support on the Learn To Be platform. A fairly new member of the MAP community, Esmirna appreciates the opportunity to help and get to know families, helping them onboard and get assimilated into the program. A key partnership to Mentor A Promise is the Children’s Rescue Fund.[2] The Children’s Rescue Fund typically will consult and speak to family members and children before joining MAP . Esmirna explained to me that all mentors have access to different resources and “provide direct support to their mentees”. The areas of support range from Algebra, Pre-Algebra, Writing, English, Science, and History.

Last but not least, I spoke with both Alisa Smith and Rick Titone who are Mentors in MAP Connect shared their experience working with Sarah (a pseudonym) and her two children, a second grader and an eighth grader, who were originally living in a shelter when they first connected through Mentor A Promise’s in-person MAP Roots program. After the family was no longer a part of the shelter system, support continued online through MAP Connect, where the children now receive one-on-one mentorship on tablets provided by the program, while the mother provides internet access.

Both mentors explained that the in-person support helped build a strong foundation with the children, especially through a ton of hands-on activities, such as creating small books together, which the younger child especially enjoyed, Rick mentioned. Over time, the daughter became deeply engaged in the program and formed a close bond with her mentor, Alisa Smith. “It’s amazing to see her elevate and grow as a student and a person,” both mentors shared, describing how the student is now animated and excited throughout the online sessions. They read books together, including Animal Farm, which the student connected to ideas about society, and they regularly talk through school projects.

Both mentors noted that the relationship with these two children grew because of the early in-person work, saying the consistency helped them “really get along well.” Rick mentioned that, because of a language barrier at times, given that they spoke Spanish and Alisa spoke and understood Spanish, the use of Google Translate emphasized how meaningful one-on-one attention has been for the children. Seeing their progress, even in small moments like the younger child popping in to say hello, has been rewarding, showing how mentorship can develop and change while remaining highly personal.

Mentor A Promise is an organization that is focused on improving the lives of families and children throughout NYC. Through one-on-one mentorship, children gain both academic and life skills through MAP Roots and MAP Connect. I had a great time speaking with both mothers as they gave me valuable insight into how life after the shelter system, and or just simply coming to America as an immigrant, evolved and changed due to the support from Mentor A Promise.

Please be sure to check out Mentor A Promise on LinkedIn and Instagram to find out more ways to help and get involved!