BY RYAN O’CONNOR

When Maura Baxter and 8-year-old Michelle are together, the smiles and laughter are constant.

Michelle, a third-grade Bow Elementary School student, was identified as a child who would benefit by having a mentor.

Michelle and her new best friend, Baxter, met through the Junior-Senior Friends program in Bow.

Baxter, a senior at Bow High School, said she joined the program not really knowing what she was getting into. But, she is so impressed with the experience that she has dedicated her senior project to the program.

“My motivation to become a mentor was that I wanted more community service hours, but as I became involved, I realized that this was my opportunity to make an impact on someone’s life,” she said.

Sue Withers, the Merrimack County match coordinator for the Friends network, said Baxter fits the mold of a person her program likes to attract.

“She’s just a very vivacious, caring young lady who has been extremely dedicated to her junior friend,” said Withers. Maura is a natural with children, and she’s just a very caring and giving person and she’s fun. She knows how to have a good time and share that with a young person.”

As part of the Concord-based Friends network, Michelle and Baxter meet at least once a week for an hour and a half to bond and share each other’s companionship. When they get together, Baxter and Michelle talk about each other’s life, friends, school and boys they think are cute. They also spend time reading, playing games and going outside to use the slide and swings, something Michelle said she loves to do.

“Each week, my goal is to try to teach her something new, whether it be a new craft or a new game,” said Baxter. “I always hope she’ll take the new activities she learns each week and share them with her friends and bring them joy.”

Michelle said she can’t wait until Friday afternoon each week.

“I think it’s really cool,” said a smiling Michelle. “(Maura) is very nice and she never gets mad at me or anything. I really like spending time with her.” Likewise, Michelle’s friendship means a lot to Baxter.

“Each week she surprises me even more with the amount of love and humor she is willing to share with me,” said Baxter. “I consider myself very blessed to be part of someone’s life that I have so much in common with and love to spend time with.”

Baxter and Michelle are one of many relationships created through the Friends program. Tyler, 9, is a fourth-grader at Bow Elementary School, and his “friend,” Mulvaney, is a Bow High School junior and hockey player. Together, they’ve developed a great friendship in a matter of a couple of months.

Mulvaney said he joined the program because he wanted to make a positive impact in Bow’s youngsters.

“It’s going very well. Tyler is very open and willing to talk, so he makes it very easy,” said Mulvaney. “We both like sports, basketball, football, baseball. He is very open to do whatever I want and I am always open to do whatever he wants.”

Tyler said he has enjoyed getting to know Mulvaney. “One day, I saw my mom talking with Jack. I started talking to him and we ended up being a good match,” said Tyler.

For more than three months, Tyler and Baxter have played sports and other activities. Withers said she is impressed with the difference Mulvaney has already had on Tyler. The matches are especially meaningful in January, said Withers, who noted the first four weeks of each year make up National Mentoring Month.

The Friends program

Friends is a nonprofit organization serving Merrimack, Belknap and part of Sullivan counties since the 1970s. Similar to the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters program, Friends matches young adults and parental figures with children in need of a caring mentor.

“It’s for any child that is going to benefit from having the attention of an adult,” said Withers.

Though neither Michelle nor Tyler has experienced great hardship in life, each was identified as a child that could benefit greatly from a mentor, said Withers. While some children in the program are missing a parent or have other disadvantages, many of the children, for various reasons, simply need a positive influence, she added.

“It’s a strength-based program,” Withers said. “These kids have lots of strengths and, by having a mentor, we hope that they build on these strengths. We come at these relationships from a positive angle.”

Friends offers several forms of mentorship, including a community- based approach requiring three to five hours a week and a site-based approach, where volunteers give one to three hours of their time. The program also offers support to mentors from a professional staff experienced in matchmaking.

“Friends” has the full-support of the Bow Elementary, said Withers. Glenn Berger, a guidance councilor at the school, helps identify students who may benefit from the program. Currently, four Bow High School students are matched with younger counterparts and usually meet with their “friends” in the afternoon, when children like Michelle and Tyler would normally be in the after-school program. Another student, said Withers, is currently being matched. But many children still need to find a “friend,” she said.

In Merrimack County alone, the program has 83 active matches and another 80 children still on the waiting list. Those accepted as a senior friend must commit at least a year to their junior friend and must first undergo screening and training.

“We’re always looking for senior friends,” said Withers. “There is no end to the number of kids who can benefit from having a senior friend and I feel very strongly that once we match somebody we continue to support them throughout their relationship with their junior friends.”

For more information, contact the Friends program at 228- 1193.