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.
Letter from the Executive Director
Imagine a child, filled with potential, but facing challenges no child should endure alone – limited resources, family instability, and a lack of positive role models. At Common Grace, we believe that every child deserves the chance to thrive, no matter their circumstances. This is why we’ve partnered with Hawai’i Public Schools to connect these young ones with dedicated mentors who become trusted friends, role models, and guides.
Through one hour a week, our mentors provide life-changing support and stability that can transform a child’s path. But we can’t do it alone. To reach every child who needs a mentor, we need your help. Your support will allow us to recruit, train, and match more mentors with the children who most need them.
Common Grace is still just scratching the surface. There are over 170,000 children in Hawaii public schools. Our vision is to rescue 600 more children in the next three years. We will be going deeper into Leeward schools. We will partner for the first time with middle schools in Kalihi, Waipahu and Ewa.
Will You Help Us Bring Hope and Support to Children in Need?
Your end-of-year donation will help our operations to continue and help children who live in at-risk home environments. Imagine the impact your generosity could make over a year.
Do You Know Someone Who Can Donate In-Kind Gifts or Special Skills?
In addition to financial contributions, we’re also looking for companies or individuals who might donate snacks, educational materials, sports equipment, or art supplies to enrich our sessions. These items are essential for creating a nurturing, enjoyable experience for the kids we serve.
Every donation, whether monetary, in-kind or in the form of your skills, brings us closer to a brighter future for our community’s children.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a lasting impact. Together, we can be the change in a child’s life, and ultimately, in our community. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
I am grateful for you,
Aries Jackson | Executive Director
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.’
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."
Isamu Jarman
Program Coordinator
"Common Grace/Mālama Mentors is for the kids—ending loneliness and bringing hope, one child at a time."
Kayla Malapit
Program Outreach Specialist
"I strive to connect with and empower those around me, specifically those of the younger generation by providing support and guidance. Witnessing how Common Grace is impacting so many of young people’s lives, it has drawn me closer to the amazing community that is behind all their hard work!"
Stephanie Thomas
Operations Manager
"God places people in spots so that they can make changes. He did just this when He brought Common Grace into my life. Joining the Common Grace team will allow me to make a lasting impact on the island's youth. The impact on one child can have a ripple effect that can reach unknown depths. My hope is that during my time with Common Grace I can make an impact that is seen for generations to come."
Renee Monczynski
Program Coordinator
I’m excited to share that I’ve joined the Common Grace team as the Program Coordinator! Over my diverse career path, I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredible people that happen to be at-risk populations, including veterans, military surviving children and teens, and those affected by natural disasters. I truly believe we all have the ability to show compassion and kindness and with it the power to empower others to live their best lives. I’m thrilled to be part of Common Grace because the values of the organization align with my own, and it allows me to continue my work with children, teens, and young adults. 💫 #CommonGrace #NewBeginnings #Empowerment
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."
Jules Guerrero
Board Member
"I am truly blessed to be part of Common Grace. I believe every child needs a great mentor in their life. Mentoring relationships promote a strong sense of belonging in youth which is essential for a healthy development. This then leads to children gaining confidence to reach their goals, developing social skills, making better choices, and most importantly building stronger relationships with those around them. I feel very fortunate to be a part of an organization who does exactly this and truly look forward to helping grow their vision."
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. "
Brady Giusta
Board Member
"I believe in the mission. Lonely kids need friends."
Board of Directors Emeritus
Ron Arnold
John Nelson
Ray Sugai
Tom Stirling
Susanne Millard
Lisa Herring
