JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM MIGHT NOT APPRECIATE HOW MUCH THEIR MENTORS HAVE HELPED KEEP THEM ON A SUCCESSFUL PATH, BUT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF CHICAGO EXPECT THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE CRITICAL TO SHAPING PRODUCTIVE FUTURES FOR CHILDREN IN CHICAGO.

HERE, HOW HE SAYS MENTORSHIP CHANGED HIS LIFE TRAJECTORY AND HOW MENTORS ARE STILL CHANGING LIVES TODAY.

>> I'M THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE UNION LEAGUE.

>> I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 37 YEARS.

WE STARTED IN 1981, I WAS JUST ONE PERSON THAT GREW UP HERE, AND NOW I OVERSEE 21 LOCATIONS WITH OVER 15,000 KIDS.

GROWING UP, MY DAD PASSED AWAY WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS YOUNG, SO I WAS MISSING THAT FATHER FIGURE.

AND COMING TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, THEY SEE ME AND TOOK ME UNDER THEIR WINGS, FEELING THAT WARM WELCOME, THEY REALLY WANTED YOU TO SUCCEED.

THEY WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF THEIR FAMILY.

SO, I'M JUST PAYING IT FORWARD NOW.

A LOT OF OUR PARENTS KEPT MORE THAN ONE JOB, SO A LOT OF THE TIMES THEY HAVE BEEN HOME ALONE OR THEY DID NOT HAVE AN ADULT.

SO, HAVING THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WHERE YOU CAN BE A MENTOR AND HAVE THEIR PARENTS DO ACTIVITIES WHILE THEY ARE AT WORK, IT IS ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE ALL THE KIDS SMILING FACES AND WALKING THROUGH OUR DOORS AND COMING INSIDE THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, GREETING THEM, MANY OF THEM DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES BUT THEY FIND THAT SENSE OF BELONGING AND THEY FEEL SAFE WITHIN THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB'S.

WHAT WE NEED IS TO CONTINUE SPREADING THE WORD THAT WE ARE PRODUCING HOPE.

I THOUGHT THERE WAS NO HOPE FOR ME AND EVENTUALLY I WAS GOING TO BE JUST A STATISTIC BUT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB SHOWED ME IT IS DIFFERENT.

THEY SHOWED ME I AM VALUABLE.

EVERYBODY THAT WE TALK TO, EVERYBODY SAYS WE HAVE CHANGED THEIR LIVES.

>> THE SCHOOL YEAR IS COMING TO