Education - Roger Lewis and Haldon Greenburg
Haldon Greenburg, 27, works in the Miami-Dade Public Defenders Office, where he has met many young people who have made bad choices in their lives.
“I used to work in the Juvenile Division, where I saw tragic circumstances, he said. “Children, who are limited by low income and the lack of education, sometimes don’t understand the difference between right and wrong,” he said. “I’ve seen what can happen when a child is not monitored.”
Earlier this year, Haldon decided he wanted to try to play a role in giving at-risk children the chance to take more positive directions in their lives. Because of his experience as a mentor, he chose to apply at Big Brothers Big Sisters. He was also motivated to help a child because he grew up in a single parent household and understands the importance of having strong relationships with others. Haldon was matched in January 2010 with 11-year old Roger Lewis, who is very shy and loves football. The two have spent time going to the park, attending sporting events, bowling and working on homework. They try to get together at least twice a month. At first, recalled Haldon, getting Roger to open up was tough, but one day there was a break through.
“Roger looked at me and told me that he could tell secrets to only two people in his life, his cousin and me,” he said. “I knew then that we had a bond that would last.”
Annette, Roger’s mother, says the match has done wonders for her son. “This is the best possible match that I could have imagined and more,” she said, explaining that Roger’s grades are improving, he is more confident and he is making more friends. “Haldon is a blessing to my son.”
She also stressed that the demands of two working parents require additional help from others. “Haldon is another person close to Roger who can be there for him when we can’t,” she said.
“Luckily, Roger has wonderful, supportive parents,” said Haldon, who doesn’t mind the evening calls with homework questions. “But, like any kid his age, he has a lot of distractions. I try to stress to him that no matter what other interests he has; a good education will open doors for him. I want him to learn that school comes first.” United Way of Broward County’s funding of the Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one mentoring program has made a difference for Roger and more than 600 children like him.
