If we had superpowers that gave us the ability to eliminate just one thing on the days leading up to any big holiday, we’d probably choose to get rid of advertisements.
In any form — commercials, emails, FB posts — they basically seek us out just to remind us of those who won’t be around. (As if we weren’t already acutely aware.)
With Father’s Day on Sunday, The Mentoring Project pioneered the #DontBuyTheTie campaign.
In a nutshell, you use the money you would have used to buy your dad a tie/any gift and you donate it to The Mentoring Project instead. With this money they’ll be able to continue their work of recruiting, training and matching mentors with mentees.
Not having someone to buy a present for on these days, makes it all a bit harder. For some donating to an organization that is about paying it forward may be comforting.
While the fundraising is so important, we were really drawn by The Mentoring Project’s acknowledgement that this is a hard time for many.
“Many have a great dad to celebrate on Father’s Day. But over 25 million youth don’t have a dad to celebrate,” reads their website.
Anyone who’s on Too Damn Young this weekend because they’re sad about Father’s Day makes up that 25 million. You’re not alone and in ways that everyone else’s promos and hashtags make you feel alone, TMP is reminding you they’ve got your back.
Use the hashtag #DontBuyTheTie to show TMP some social media love. If you have the money to spare, send a few dollars their way by donating here.
And if you still need some convincing as to why we’re now huge fans of The Mentoring Project check out this blog post from Bruce Doane, TMP’s Mentor Care Director:
I’ve been matched with my mentee, Ryan, since the beginning of this year. He and I have had a great time getting to know one another, typically hanging out on a weekly basis. We don’t normally do any exotic activities — mostly we just run errands together or read a book or team up on homework.
Just yesterday we stopped in at Mardel Christian Bookstore to kill some time. I had planned to show him a few of my favorite books, including one my boss wrote. Ryan has briefly met my boss before, and I thought it might be fun for him to see the book on the shelf of someone he knows.
When we walked in the store there were advertisements for this weekend’s holiday. There were several mugs and cards and other merchandise promoting Father’s Day. Since picking Ryan up, I’d going back and forth in my mind whether or not I would mention Father’s Day, especially since his dad isn’t really a part of his life anymore. But we couldn’t escape the topic at that point.
I told Ryan it might be fun to pick out a gift for my dad, which immediately sparked in him a desire to buy supplies and create a gift for his uncle and his Mom’s boyfriend. I asked if his Mom’s boyfriend has kids, to which Ryan replied, “No, but he’s been there for me. And so has my uncle. So I want to do something nice for them.”
It wasn’t an awkward moment at all. It was really encouraging and inspiring for me to hear this kid, who probably has a legit reason to grieve this weekend, look at the situation in a whole different light and recognize a few men who are “there for him.” He didn’t talk about gifts or things he had received from these guys, he simply said they were “there for him.”
Presence is powerful. My boss, John Sowers, likes to say the people who mean the most to us are those who show up in our lives. And this is what I heard Ryan echo at Mardel yesterday.
So this Father’s Day, thanks to my mentee, I’m reminded to lean into my relationships and be available, to be “there with them.” I’m also reminded of my dad, who is pretty cool. Just this morning my new wife and I were talking about our wake up routines when we were kids. The first thing that popped into my mind was my dad repeatedly knocking on my door at 6 in the morning (most notably on Saturday and Sunday when it’s okay to sleep in) to ask me if I wanted to go to breakfast with him.
I always loved the steak and eggs, but even more than that I loved to be with my dad.
The people that mean the most to us are those who show up in our lives.
Images: The Mentoring Project Facebook
