http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/mentorseri_131.mp3
The Missouri Mentoring Partnership Young Parent Program provides support to young parents. Young parents up to age 23 are referred to the program by other organizations. MMS helps keep young parents and their babies on track with healthy habits. As part of our two part series on mentoring, KSMU's Emily Nash files this report.
22 year old Rianna Campbell from Rogersville is a single mom with two and three year old.
Deborah Harlin is a grandmother who's a service coordinator for people with Lou Gehrig's disease.
The two have been paired through the Missouri Mentoring Program or MMP
When they met two years ago, Deborah says they were both nervous.
"Probably Rianna doesn't realize that the first day that we met I thought, oh she isn't going to like me. So we had the same feelings."
But, Rianna says things loosened up once she realized they had something in common.
"Once I realized she was a young mother too, I was like, oh she's not that bad!
Deborah: And another thing, I had no way to judge her. I was the same as she was. It put us on a more even level instead of me being the mentor and her the mentee. We were just two people who had experienced the same things. I was just older and had been through it already. "
When they met, Rianna was pregnant with her second baby.
Deborah says it was fun to help Rianna during that time.
"It was a fun time in her life to get to share with her, and get to go to the hospital, and see the baby, and count his fingers and revel with Rianna in having a healthy baby boy."
Deborah and Rianna spend time together each week playing with Rianna's kids, or running errands.
"Shopping, going out to eat, making stuff with my kids just crafty stuff." "Sometimes we would just meet at her house and we did a couple of craft things, we would clean house, we went to Wal-Mark a lot! (laughter) we hung out at Wal-Mart a lot. We would see people I know and they would see me with this girl and her kids and they would be like "Is this yours?" and I would say no no this is just my friend Rianna."
Deborah helps Rianna take care of her 2 children.
She says Deborah has become like a grandmother to them.
"Oh they are attached to her, they don't want nothing to do with me when she is around. They are like, oh! She lets me get away with things!"
Rianna says her relationship with Deborah has brought back her ability to trust people.
"uh she has just taught me that I can trust people and that not everybody's bad and that I can talk to her if I need anyone to talk to."
Along with a personal mentor, MMP has classes, monthly group meetings, and other networking opportunities for young parents.
Rianna says the program hooks her up with peers who are in the same situation.
"I enjoy it because I just like being around people my age, and with people I have stuff in common with. Like kids. And well it has shown me that I am not the only one who is young and has kids. On my own."
Deborah says she's impressed with the way Rianna has accomplished all of her self-set goals.
"I've seen her go back to school and get a job..."
Rianna will be graduating from MMP soon.
She says she plans to return to the program, but this time as a mentor to another young mom.
For more information about the Missouri Mentoring Partnership, we have a link on our web site at KSMU. ORG.
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