Henry and Joevanny
“When my son was stressed, I would call Henry and ask if he could take Joevanny out. It’s been a blessing. ”
At just 12 years old, Joevanny was forced to take on the role of being the man in the house and had to support his younger sister and single mom, who worked three jobs to provide for her family. When he was referred to Friends for Youth, his family had been homeless and in transitional housing, facing the struggles of being low-income in the ever-rising cost of living in the Bay Area.
Cue Henry, his mentor. Henry had just started his startup company with 3 other people and was looking for a meaningful volunteer experience. Henry found Friends for Youth and Joevanny. Joevanny will tell you that at the start of their mentorship, he thought Henry would be annoying and he didn't think he would stay in the program long. Week after week, Joevanny and Henry met and week after week, Joevanny and Henry built a connection and a friendship. By giving Joevanny a safe space and an outlet for the stresses he faced in his young life, Henry was able to provide guidance and be the male role model Joevanny never had.
Fast forward 6 years, Henry's startup has achieved great success and continues to grow today at more than 250 employees. Henry's also started an internal employee mentoring program at his company with the help of Friends for Youth because he has personally experienced and believes in the power of mentoring.
And Joevanny?
Joevanny graduated high school, is taking college classes and because of Henry, is inspired to become an entrepreneur himself.