Cabrini Connections' Supporter Makes His First NFL Start

Ikechuku Ndukwe(#68 ) right guard for the Miami Dolphins is getting his first NFL start today against the Arizona Cardinals. Ikechuku Ndukwe, better known as "Ike," has been supporting the Cabrini Connections program for several months now. Ike's support of Cabrini Connections started with the purchasing of an official NFL football that he and several of the Miami Dolphins autographed, and Mr. Ndukwe sent the football to Cabrini Connection as a silent auction item for the 2008 Jimmie Biggs Memorial Cabrini Connections Golf Benefit. Although his schedule did not allow Ike to attend the event, he did state that he would try to come out and support the 2009 event!

Ike's support of Cabrini Connections does not stop there, Mr. Ndukwe continues to support the program by simply reading the blog articles, viewing the Cabrini Connections' website (http://www.cabriniconnections.net/), and periodically checking with the Administrative Coordinator about 'what's new' with the program!

You do not have to be a professional in the National Football League to support Cabrini Connections. Cabrini Connections is a non-profit organization, like many other non-profit organizations, that is always in need of support and financial contributions in order to continue to provide the best services for the program's participants. If you would like to support the Cabrini Connections' program, continue reading the blog articles and viewing the website so the Cabrini Connections' "story" will lead you to support us financialy as well!

Cabrini Connections' Welcome-Back Brunch

On Saturday September 6, 2008 the Cabrini Connections staff put together a Welcome-Back Brunch for all of the students, parents, volunteers, and staff. This event was filled with food, games, prizes, and most importantly attendees interacting with each other. The purpose of the event was to provide a fun-filled way to kick-off our '08-'09 tutor/mentor program, but this event did so much more. At the Welcome-Back Brunch new students and their families were able to meet with new mentors for the first time, returning students and volunteers were able to catch up after the summer break, the Cabrini Connections staff were able to share some of the new additions of the program to all in attendance, and prospective students were able to actually sign up for the program!

There were more than 70 people who came out and enjoyed the event and from the feedback that the staff received right after the event and in the days since, we all feel that the event was an overall success!

Hopefully the momentum from this event will continue right into our first night of tutoring which is September 17th and through the entire school year!

I would personally like to thank the Cabrini Connections' staff for all of their work in making sure that the event was a success. I also want to thank all of those who made it out to the event, and encourage those who could not attend to continue to support the program and events such as the Welcome-Back Brunch in the future.

Mentors and the Danger of High Expectations

As school is starting and new volunteers are coming on board, it's a good time to remind people not to have unreal expectations about what they can accomplish during the coming year.

To help with that I encourage you to visit a friend of Cabrini Connections, who leads a mentoring program in Australia. Read more aboutmentoring and high expectations. (Posted on Aug. 17, 2008. Scroll down on this site to find this article.)

As volunteers at Cabrini Connections, or others who visit our blogs, go through the school year, you'll see that we constantly point to others who also lead similar programs. We can learn from our own actions, and from the staff at Cabrini Connections, but we can also learn from people in all parts of the world who are working with similar kids, and in similar programs.

The GR8 MATES Youth Mentor Program is one that I hope you'll visit when you're a bit frustrated or need some inspirations.

As we start the new year, I also hope you'll read the blogs at the left, and help us find donors who will make large and small contributions to fund our work. Donations can be made using this form.