Jess

Yeah, or even, I mean, it's still something that we're fighting, but our workplace doesn't provide health insurance for dependents, which I think is really ironic given how much we care for kids. And then some of our mentors and other co-workers that have kids have to spend so much money on health insurance for their own personal kids. Friends of some of the kids, apparently. Yeah.

That's how this works. The kids, they pick. Yeah, and honestly, like, big picture thinking, like, the reason why we... started this whole unionizing project was because we care so much about our kids, right? When I first started working at Friends, I think was the first mask mentor to be hired in a fairly long time after a lot of firings of other mask mentors.

That's how this works. The kids, they pick. Yeah, and honestly, like, big picture thinking, like, the reason why we... started this whole unionizing project was because we care so much about our kids, right? When I first started working at Friends, I think was the first mask mentor to be hired in a fairly long time after a lot of firings of other mask mentors.

That's how this works. The kids, they pick. Yeah, and honestly, like, big picture thinking, like, the reason why we... started this whole unionizing project was because we care so much about our kids, right? When I first started working at Friends, I think was the first mask mentor to be hired in a fairly long time after a lot of firings of other mask mentors.

And two of the youth that... Actually, it's more than two of the youth, but the first two youth that I was matched up with They hadn't had a mentor for over two years. Jeez. Which is a really long time.

And two of the youth that... Actually, it's more than two of the youth, but the first two youth that I was matched up with They hadn't had a mentor for over two years. Jeez. Which is a really long time.

And two of the youth that... Actually, it's more than two of the youth, but the first two youth that I was matched up with They hadn't had a mentor for over two years. Jeez. Which is a really long time.

Like when you, you know, are five, six years old and you're used to one person consistently picking you up every single week and hanging out with you and spending time with you for several hours for six or seven years. And then just like...

Like when you, you know, are five, six years old and you're used to one person consistently picking you up every single week and hanging out with you and spending time with you for several hours for six or seven years. And then just like...

Like when you, you know, are five, six years old and you're used to one person consistently picking you up every single week and hanging out with you and spending time with you for several hours for six or seven years. And then just like...

Next day, next week, maybe even that same day you find out like, oh, you no longer have a mentor and you're not going to have a mentor for two more years because people keep leaving. People aren't wanting to apply for this job because the pay isn't high enough. Right. That then like creates like a lot of issues with the kids that we're dealing with.

Next day, next week, maybe even that same day you find out like, oh, you no longer have a mentor and you're not going to have a mentor for two more years because people keep leaving. People aren't wanting to apply for this job because the pay isn't high enough. Right. That then like creates like a lot of issues with the kids that we're dealing with.

Next day, next week, maybe even that same day you find out like, oh, you no longer have a mentor and you're not going to have a mentor for two more years because people keep leaving. People aren't wanting to apply for this job because the pay isn't high enough. Right. That then like creates like a lot of issues with the kids that we're dealing with.

It's not like we are these like saviors or like anything like along those lines. Right. But when someone has.

It's not like we are these like saviors or like anything like along those lines. Right. But when someone has.

It's not like we are these like saviors or like anything like along those lines. Right. But when someone has.

consistent support and then that support is lost for a long time especially when you're a young kid where it's been the majority of your life you've been having that consistent support that then creates like a lot of trust issues and like overall like attachment issues that a youth could face and for me that was the main thing like working with these kids and having to like regain that trust was something that's like still to this day is like really emotionally like daunting and

consistent support and then that support is lost for a long time especially when you're a young kid where it's been the majority of your life you've been having that consistent support that then creates like a lot of trust issues and like overall like attachment issues that a youth could face and for me that was the main thing like working with these kids and having to like regain that trust was something that's like still to this day is like really emotionally like daunting and

consistent support and then that support is lost for a long time especially when you're a young kid where it's been the majority of your life you've been having that consistent support that then creates like a lot of trust issues and like overall like attachment issues that a youth could face and for me that was the main thing like working with these kids and having to like regain that trust was something that's like still to this day is like really emotionally like daunting and

um and i like i will keep saying this i love my kids so much like i i like can't stop thinking about them and i want to be with my kids until they graduate which would mean me staying at this job for another eight years which it's a long time right but i i want to do that so i want to you know get