Grant Bowles was moved to be a mentor one day and he didn’t even know it.

He witnessed a young girl, probably 4 or 5 years old wandering around on a busy street in the Highlands neighborhood. He walked the girl home and was appalled at what he saw when he got there.

The next day he walked into Highlands Elementary school and offered his time wherever they needed it. They directed him to Communities In Schools of Renton and now, six years later, he has mentored four boys.

January 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of National Mentoring Month.

Locally, CISR has been matching students in grades 3 to 12 with community volunteers since 1995.

The need for mentors in Renton is great right now, with 20 elementary school children and 22 middle school youth on the waiting list for mentors.

Erin Iverson, mentor program manager, said the economic downturn has put a strain on potential volunteers’ ability to break away from work and come mentor students.

CISR has served 137 kids this year with 98 mentors.

Bowles currently mentors three boys, two at Highlands and one at Dimmit Middle School. He previously mentored one young man up to seventh grade for about 4 1/2 years.

He said he started mentoring because of “the hurt that’s in this community.” Bowles is also the pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Renton and participates to set an example for his congregation.

Wednesday he was at Highlands Elementary spending time with his mentees Tyshawn Deville, 11 and Vincent Hyde, 10.

Hyde’s favorite thing to do with his mentor is to play with marbles. The three play basketball, kickball or tetherball outside and then normally come inside and play board games. During their session, Bowles easily works into the conversation questions about how life and school are going for each of the boys.

One of the his accomplishments he feels his getting the boys he’s mentored to come out of their shell.

“Also, the biggest thing is giving them a male role model,” Bowles said. “I think that’s been huge. These guys and the ones that I’ve had, none of them have significant male role models at home.”

Bowles feels that giving the boys that time to play, interact and see how a man ought to behave is important.

Male mentors are in short supply and much needed by CISR.

Deville wrote about his mentor, Bowles, for the “Thank Your Mentor Essay Contest” CISR held.

In it, he wrote how he trusts Bowles as a friend to guide him for as long as he is his mentor.

Then he wrote, “And if I ever lose you as a mentor, you will always be in my heart.”

Bowles said some days after mentoring he wonders if he accomplished anything, but then remembers that it’s about them having positive interaction with an adult male that makes all the difference in their lives.

“You may not have an epiphany every week; but when you add it all up, those epiphanies happen,” he said.

The mentoring program is not an academic one. The mentors do have access to their mentees’ teachers for feedback, but mentors are there to offer their support and encouragement in life and school.

Sometimes fulfilling the status quo is sign enough the student is being helped by the mentor, said Iverson. Coming to school, being engaged and ready to learn as well as behavior improvement are all signs the student is benefiting from the mentoring experience, she said.

To volunteer with Communities in Schools of Renton contact Erin Iverson at 425-430-6659 or email emiverson@rentonwa.gov