Youth Tutoring
Claudia Tarango was a “troublemaker”, as she puts it. When she was a sophomore in high school, she was dating a drug user and hanging out with the wrong crowd. Her boyfriend’s friends became her friends and she felt cool when she was around them. At the time, she did not believe in God.
Claudia’s confusion was apparent in her studies. Her Cs, Ds and Fs translated to a 1.0 grade point average. Then her cousin told her about Kids at Heart, an afterschool-tutoring program hosted by The Rock Church in San Diego. She decided to do something, but not without apprehension.
“The first day I went there it was scary,” said Claudia. “The tutors were all in college, smart and I just didn’t think I would fit in.”
But not long after she started, Claudia learned some of her tutors shared her experiences. The tutors were positive, caring and consistently displayed love and genuine concern toward her.
As a result, Claudia’s academic performance dramatically improved. Her grade point average jumped from a 1.0 to a 3.6, and this fall she will be attending San Diego State. She is the first in her family to ever go to college.
The Kids at Heart ministry exists to bring God's love and the Good News of the Gospel to inner-city youth. This program offers volunteer tutoring and mentoring, providing weekly one-on-one homework assistance and enrichment activities for low-income and racially diverse children in grades k-12.
To learn more about how you can start a similar ministry in your community, click here. The task is simple and the impact can be great. So just get out there and DO something!