Celebrating Easter with Twins!

These twins have an annual celebration of Easter together with their mentor in which they decorate Easter eggs!  They've been matched for over 8 years and still very much enjoy their time together.  Here's a recent article about their match.

Guest Blog by Rita: Fun at Shamrock Skate!

Have you ever seen a teen teaching their adult mentor how to ice skate?  Watching kids and adults fall on the ice and get right back up to try again. We experienced these and more as well as delicious treats and great company at the Shamrock Skate provided by Thrivent Financial, on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th. Kids ages 5-16 joined their mentors, families, friends  and community members at the Burnsville Ice Center.  The skating  arena was full of laughter and trials as experienced and novice skaters hit the ice. A great time was had by all! We often hear potential volunteers saying they want to share their experiences, knowledge & interests with mentees.  When they become mentors, they discover that  they often learn from their mentees as much or more! The personal growth and fun experiences are both wonderful benefits, among many, of mentoring a child. Connect with Kids ‘n Kinship to learn more about mentoring in your own community.  www.kidsnkinship.org

A Smile This Big Says It All

 
















In the middle of the blizzard today, I realize that most of us in Minnesota are about ready to be done with winter, especially since the first official day of spring occurs on Wednesday.  But I had to share these photos & quotes about a mentor taking her mentee ice fishing for the first time! (Names have been changed or left out to protect our participants' identities).

"Debbie" recently went out ice fishing with her mentor on Cedar Lake near New Prague, MN. Her mentor reports: "She caught 2 of the 5 crappies on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. [At first,] she was worried about driving a half mile on the lake, but got over the fear quickly as she cleaned out the ice from fish holes and caught some fish. After the outing, the fish were cleaned, fried, and eaten. She enjoyed the experience, [as you can see from these photos!]"

Mother of "Debbie": “[My daughter] had a wonderful time with [her mentor] on Saturday – they took her ice fishing!  They have totally awesome pictures!...It was like the first time I’d seen [her] smiling naturally happily in a long time…she was very happy!  It almost made me cry.”

Want to make a child this happy?  Share your hobbies & interests with a kid!  For more information, go to www.kidsnkinship.org or attend an information session in the community.  Our next one is Tuesday March 26th, 6:00-6:45 pm at the Wescott Library in Eagan.  RSVP to rykinship@aol.com or 651-686-0990. 

Join us for a Family Friendly Fundraiser Ice Skating Event!

Like ice skating?  Want to support a great organization which provides mentors to youth in Dakota County? Join Kids 'n Kinship for this fun event in the community on St. Patrick's Day!  We will also have free massages!  Everyone is welcome - adults, kids, families, teens!  

Kids 'n Kinship has been serving children living in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville & Rosemount for over 40 years. We match them with caring individuals, couples & families for fun and enriching weekly activities in the community and in the home. Kids 'n Kinship provides pre-match training, ongoing support for each match, and many free and reduced cost tickets to area attractions including the MN Zoo, sports events & plays & musicals. For more information or to sign up as a mentor or to receive a mentor for your child, go to www.kidsnkinship.org.