Success Stories

Matt and Nick

Matt says, “Mentoring, to me, was an opportunity to help, and to my surprise, Nick has helped me just as much as I have helped him, if not more. I have the privilege to see him twice a month while keeping up between with phone calls. Nick is a breath of fresh air during a hectic month of real world surviving. He reminds me what it feels like to be a kid and have such an honest and innocent outlook on life. Mentoring has created memories and, most importantly, a friend that I will have forever. I did not dream of something being so fulfilling until I gave it a chance. Each day is a new day to change your life and the day I met Nick it changed mine.”

Nick’s mom Lisa says, “The first time that we all met, Nick and I both knew that this was a match made in heaven. When Matt and Nick were matched, we were having some family problems. Matt could not have come at a better time. These two are more like brothers than mentor-mentee. They look like two different types of people, but they are so much alike. They enjoy music, skiing, movies, video games and just hanging out. Nick knows that Matt is always just a phone call away. I want to thank the YMCA Mentor Program for finding that perfect someone, Matt Scanlon, for my son, Nick.”

Nick says, “Matt is so cool! He is just like a brother to me. He enjoys a lot of the same things I like. He taught me how to drive his car. I love how he is always there for me when I am having bad times. I am twice the size of him, but he can still play me a good game of basketball. He taught me to be a bigger and better man. Matt is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”