About

Our goal is to provide 3,000 additional children with compassionate mentors by 2025.

We are a small 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Hawai'i that facilitates partnerships between public schools, business, civic, and faith-based communities to provide mentors for highly vulnerable children. Since 2002, we have helped over 3,000 children.

Many of the children we work with are lacking stability in their lives. They may be experiencing homelessness, constant moving due to military placement, inadequate education, incarcerated family members, single-parent homes, drug/alcohol abuse, food insecurity, language barriers, cultural differences, discrimination, and few resources/assets. Some students we work with experience bullying or ostracization from peers. These students are referred to our program with the help of teachers and counselors, who believe the child could benefit from the personal attention from a mentor who truly cares for their well-being.

The structure of our mentoring sessions is one-to-one. During the school year, mentors commit to meeting with a student for one hour, once a week at a designated location.

We are supported by the state of Hawaii Department of Education Superintendent, and we received the Partnership in Education Award in 2007.

Resources

Letter from the Executive Director

Now that we've entered the Fall season, I hope you've had a chance to reflect on your summer. Was it filled with cherished moments with family and friends? Did you get to travel anywhere? The summer has been definitely warmer than usual. I am incredibly grateful for your generous gift this past year. Thanks to your support, we have been able to help vulnerable children in 14 different public elementary and middle schools. Your generosity has enabled us to facilitate over 4,600 matches in the past 23 years, with more than 90% completing the full one-year program and achieving a 100% safety rating.

Here are some key statistics highlighting the impact of our program on youth:

100% of youth maintained or improved attendance at school
100% of youth avoided involvement in the criminal justice system
100% reduced risk behaviors (vaping, drugs, and alcohol)
91% of youth reported having a more positive outlook on life since meeting their mentor
91% of youth mentioned that their mentor inspires them to perform better in school

In July, I visited Waipahu Elementary and met JJ, a fourth-grade mentee. He lives with five siblings and is raised by a single mom. When I asked him how being a part of Common Grace helped him, he said, “My mentor helped me to be better at school and also she always made me feel important.” His mom, overwhelmed with gratitude, shared how our program has been a lifeline for her family.

What God does through Common Grace is truly life-changing. We need your help to continue this vital work. Our goal is to help 300 more children this school year. By supporting us, you are preventing children from engaging in risky behaviors, facing mental health issues, and even committing violent acts. Please consider a meaningful gift of $300, which will bring hope to 300 children through 21 sessions in the following schools:

Wilson Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School
Liholiho Elementary School
Kalihi Waena Elementary School
Ali’iolani Elementary School
Aiea Elementary School
August Ahrens Elementary School
Waipahu Elementary School
Gus Webling Elementary School
Maunawili Elementary School
Keolu Elementary School
Ahuimanu Elementary School
Pearl City Highlands Elementary School
Pearl City Elementary School
Washington Middle School

Imagine a child feeling lonely and angry, wanting to hurt others… Imagine a student not wanting to go to school for fear of being bullied… Imagine a child feeling unsafe at home with no one to talk to… Imagine a child ready to give up and losing hope…

Now, imagine that same child feeling confident, encouraged, and safe, believing that SOMEBODY CARES. Together, we can provide that SOMEBODY. We are change-makers who can break the cycle of loneliness. If each of us gives meaningfully, we can make a profound difference.

On November 2nd, we’re hosting the Vision Dinner, and we’d love for you to join us.

This is a complimentary dinner & key moment to hear ministry updates, powerful testimonies, and pray as we partner to reach more vulnerable children in Hawai’i's public schools.

Your presence will allow you to feel the heartbeat of Common Grace and understand the importance of our mission. Please RSVP by Friday, October 18th by clicking HERE.

I am grateful for you,

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Aries Jackson | Executive Director

aries@commongrace.org

Our Team

Aries Jackson

Executive Director

"God is calling me to serve Common Grace to rescue children through loving them as He loves me." Matthew 22:39 ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Isamu Jarman

Program Coordinator

"Common Grace/Mālama Mentors is for the kids—ending loneliness and bringing hope, one child at a time."

Chelsie Ahue

Operations Manager

"Seeing kids feel loved & have a sense of belonging is like nothing else. In Psalms 127:3, it says 'children are a gift from the Lord.' I'm so honored to be a part of a growing organization that helps youth feel heard, known & understood."

Jéssica Woodruff

Program & Administrative Assistant

"I am particularly drawn to the organization's commitment to empowering youth through education and cultural awareness, and I look forward to contributing my skills and passion to support this mission."

Justin Liyeg

Data Analyst/Admin Acct Clerk

"I chose to join Common Grace after witnessing the lives this program has touched first-hand and felt I could best utilize my analytical gifts to serve this program and its community."

Our Board of Directors

Jay Jarman

Founder & Board Member

"'I see Him in every vulnerable child.' Matthew 25:35-36, 40 (NIV) God wants our lives to overflow with mercy, love, and compassion — the marks of His kingdom. As followers of Jesus, we have a choice: respond to unsettling realities in fear and withdraw, or follow Him in responding to the greatest needs of our day with love and hope."

Lisa Herring

Board Member

"I am excited to be a part of the Common Grace Ohana! I believe our mission changes lives by positvely impacting the growth and development of our future leaders. "

Larry Takumi

Board Member

"I have seen how Common Grace's mentorship program works and how it can provide a meaningful impact on the lives of young children, as well as the mentors themselves. I fully support Common Grace 's emboldening the breadth of God's love through these mentoring relationships, and I want to help this program grow."

Vehia Goo

Chairman of the Board

"Every time a mentor meets with their mentee they both become that much more able to imagine a better life for themselves. Every time they meet our future gets a little brighter."

Joshua Ching

Board Member

"The service provided through Common Grace meets a crucial need to develop and encourage our young people here in Hawai'i. Every student impacted leads to a brighter future for our keiki and community. I am excited and honored to serve in this important mission."

Cal Jones

Board Member

"Common Grace is an outreach and mentoring program that exists to mentor students and walk with them through life, help them grow in their faith, provide them with the sense of family, and lead them toward self-sustaining adulthood. I am excited to be a part of that mission."

Sally Manglicmot

Treasurer

"I simply asked the Lord to use me. I look forward to giving back to children by lifting them up as I was lifted up [informally] by a mentor when in the sixth grade, and that relationship has impacted my life in multiple ways since then."

Max Fowler

Board Member

"Common Grace reaches Hawaii's students who need the most help. As a mentor for some years, it has been a blessing to see a life changed, one keiki at a time!"

Joe Passantino

Board Member

“I am motivated to serve through Common Grace / Malama Mentors because they are passionate about serving students in the community. Our goal is to change the trajectory of students' lives and to help them on their path to be contributing members of society. The earlier we can intervene the better our chances are to help create success in their lives. "