For a year, Jeremy* and his mentor have been building trust. Week after week, that relationship has given Jeremy someone steady to count on.

Then a lot went wrong at once. With his mother already battling a terminal illness, his grandmother's health declined. Then he lost his dog. When the Spokane Complex Wildfires broke out, his family lived near an evacuation boundary. Jeremy became afraid to leave his grandmother's side. Going on outings stopped being possible. But his mentor knew this wasn't a time to step back.

Our program team stayed in close contact with the family, checking in with Jeremy's grandmother and helping where we could. The family was able to stay in their home. Jeremy's mentor kept showing up, visiting several times a week, bringing groceries, sitting with Jeremy and listening. He said the same thing every time. “I’m here for you. No matter what.”

Then Jeremy's mother passed away.

As the family prepared for the funeral, his grandmother and his mentor stayed constant. Somewhere in that stretch, Jeremy understood something. His mentor hadn't left when things got hard. He had stayed.

That's what opened a door. With everything happening at home, Jeremy agreed to come back to the clubhouse. His mentor took him to lunch. An ordinary hour, in the middle of the worst weeks of his life.

This is why we're here. So that when a child's world falls apart, the relationship with their Friend doesn't. So our youth know someone will keep showing up, not just for the good days, but for the fear and the grief and the days when getting through is the only thing possible.

Jeremy is learning he doesn't have to carry this alone. That's the promise we make to every young person we serve. We’re here. No matter what.

*Youth name changed for privacy.