Special to IFN
Positive male role models are making a quiet but powerful impact at Speak Life & Live, especially among the boys and young men served by the Statesville nonprofit.
In response to a need for consistent, caring men, more volunteers have stepped forward to mentor — and their efforts are changing lives and shaping futures.
“We want to recognize Alex Brown, Timothy Bates, Todd Scott, Costi Kutteh for the way they faithfully show up for our youth,” Co-Executive Directors Leslie Morrison and Saira Estrada said in a news release.
“Week after week, they offer a steady presence—helping with homework, talking through conflicts, and walking with students through challenges at school and at home. Sometimes that looks like explaining a math problem one more time; other days it means listening without judgment as a young man processes anger, fear, or disappointment.”
These volunteers also serve as “book buddies,” sitting side by side with students to explore stories, practice reading, and discover new ideas. By celebrating progress, recommending age-appropriate books, and modeling a love for learning, they are helping students find (or rediscover) their own love for reading.
“Their influence goes far beyond academics. Our mentoring approach is designed to build character, leadership, and life skills so that young people are prepared not only to pass tests, but to navigate life with integrity and purpose,” Morrison and Estrada said. “Through conversations, encouragement, and accountability, these mentors help youth learn how to make wise choices, communicate with respect, and see themselves as leaders in their families, schools, and communities. For many boys, having a man consistently speak life into them is the difference between giving up and pressing forward.”
Research reminds us why this work matters so much. Children with actively involved fathers are 43 percent more likely to earn A’s in school and 80 percent less likely to go to jail later in life. Yet up to 43 percent of boys report having no adult man they can turn to about friendships and relationships.
Speak Life & Live mentors stand in that gap, offering the kind of guidance and presence so many young people are missing. Still, the need exceeds the number of men we currently have.
The nonprofit is actively recruiting additional male mentors who can invest just a few hours a month in the next generation. If you can listen, be patient, and show up consistently, there is a young person who needs what you carry: your story, your faith, your example.
With more men like Brown, Bates, Scott and Kutteh answering the call, even more boys and young men will discover that their lives matter and that, with God’s help, their future can look very different from their past.