HELPS Mentoring Program in LPISD

Hey mentors! Nominate a mentor in your life!

Do you know someone who is dedicated to making life better for the young people around them?

We want to celebrate them! Nominate them for an Excellence in Mentoring Award at https://bit.ly/4vsQ4SC

⏰ Deadline: June 5, 11:59 PM EST

One message like this reminds us why mentoring matters so much.

Not because of a program.
Not because of a meeting.
Because of a relationship.

“Being her mentor has been one of the greatest joys…”

That sentence says more than any statistic ever could.

Real mentoring is built through consistency. Week after week. Conversation after conversation. Showing up when life is messy, awkward, hard, or uncertain. Deep relationships don’t happen by accident, and trust isn’t built overnight.

What changes a young person is often not one big moment, but the steady presence of an adult who keeps showing up long enough to say:

❤️ “You matter.”
❤️ “I believe in you.”
❤️ “You’re not alone.”

At HELPS, we see it all the time. Confidence grows. Walls come down. Students begin to see themselves differently because someone chose to invest in them consistently.

That’s why mentors matter.
And that’s why consistency matters even more.

La Porte ISD
La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce

With Bayshore Elementary - La Porte ISD – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

Teachers don’t just educate. They advocate, encourage, and show up every single day for students who need it most.

At HELPS Mentoring, we see it up close.

We see the teacher who quietly connects a student with a mentor because they know that child needs one more caring adult.
We see the counselor who goes the extra mile to make sure no student falls through the cracks.
We see the campus staff who believe that relationships—not just instruction—change lives.

Mentoring doesn’t replace what teachers do. It strengthens it.

When a student has both a committed educator and a consistent mentor, something powerful happens:
They feel seen.
They feel valued.
They begin to believe in their future.

To every teacher, counselor, and campus leader in LPISD—you are the foundation. HELPS is simply honored to come alongside you.

Because when we work together, we don’t just support students…
we change trajectories.

La Porte ISD

Our fourth HELPS Mentoring mentor appreciation event was tonight - and it was so wonderful hearing so many voices of mentoring share their “why” they support mentoring our youth.

We soooo appreciate every mentor volunteer in our program. This event is always just a small token of that appreciation.

Dr Walter Jackson is a HELPS Mentor and shared his heart for those students and why he mentors.

Cindy Santisteban Martin from Bayshore Elementary shared the burden so many students carry into our campuses every day.

Dennis Cima share the impact that happened, not all at once, but over time and with persistence and consistency.

Coach Mac shared his “why” and his “six word life story” that was just so moving and thought provoking.

Brenda L. Thompson shared her amazing relationship with her student, and introduced her student, Sora, who shared what having a mentor has meant to her.

Lastly, Frank Nance shared what he’s learned about mentoring through our program and shared his appreciation for what our mentors and counselors are doing every day in La Porte ISD.

We are also grateful for the support of all the LPISD staff that helped out this event, including Terri Gillespie Cook and Sam Zaborowski.

One more day until we celebrate our mentors and mentor advocates, and welcome potential mentors!

Mentor Appreciation Dinner
La Porte ISD
La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce

Consistency doesn’t always feel like impact in the moment—but over time, it becomes everything.

In HELPS Mentoring, it’s not about having all the right words or fixing every problem. It’s about showing up. Week after week. Lunch after lunch. Keeping your word. Listening. Following through.

For many students, that consistency creates something they don’t always have—safety. And when a student feels safe, that’s when trust begins… and that’s when real growth and healing can take root.

Never underestimate what simply being there can do.

La Porte ISD
La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce

Did you know?

40% of kids grow up without a mentor.
67% say they needed one—but didn’t have one.

That’s not a statistic… that’s a student sitting in a classroom in our community.

HELPS exists so every student can feel seen, heard, and valued.

La Porte ISD
La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce

Https://lpisd.org/helps

La Porte Independent School District La Porte Independent School District

There’s a growing recognition across the country that mentoring isn’t just a “nice thing to do”… it’s a movement.

Organizations like MENTOR describe mentoring as something that shapes lives, strengthens communities, and creates long-term impact—for both students and adults. In fact, research shows that mentoring relationships positively influence education, mental health, identity, and a young person’s sense of belonging. 

At HELPS Mentoring, we see that every week.

It’s not about programs or policies—it’s about people.
It’s about showing up.
It’s about being present.
It’s about making sure a student feels seen, heard, and valued.

That’s what movement makers do.

And we are incredibly grateful for the mentors who choose to step into that role in our schools.

If you’re one of those mentors—or if you support someone who is—we’d love to celebrate you.

Join us for our Mentor Appreciation Dinner
📅 May 4
📍 Legacy Complex

A small way to say thank you for the big difference you’re making.

And if you’ve ever thought about getting involved… this is your reminder:
There’s still room for more movement makers.

La Porte ISD
La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce

Easter is a meaningful time for many, but regardless of personal beliefs, it points to a truth that every strong community depends on:

The willingness to sacrifice.

To give of our time.
To share our energy.
To show up for someone else when it would be easier not to.

At HELPS Mentoring, we see this lived out every day. Mentors choosing to invest in students—not because they have to, but because they believe someone else’s life is worth their time.

That kind of selflessness changes lives. And when it happens consistently, it changes communities.

This season is a reminder that when people step outside of themselves for the good of others, something powerful happens.

And that’s exactly what mentorship is all about.

La Porte ISD
La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce

La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce has been a supporter of HELPS since day one, and we are so appreciative of the ways they have poured into our mission and all that their support allows us to accomplish!