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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®



POWER OF ONE: Jerry Nienhuis

Every Child Counts

If you didn’t know otherwise, you might think Jerry Nienhuis, CRS®, gri, needed to improve his work ethic. Every week, the partner with Wintersun Realty in Holland, Mich., leaves his office to spend an hour hanging out with a buddy.

In Nienhuis’ view, that hour is one of the most valuable of the week. He spends it mentoring a disadvantaged 10-year-old boy. Nienhuis has been meeting with the boy for four years as a volunteer in Kids Hope USA, a mentoring program launched by a friend at Nienhuis’ church. The organization now operates in 27 states with 3,800 mentors from more than 200 churches.

In January, during a trip to Grand Rapids, Mich., President Bush met with Nienhuis (above) and thanked him for his efforts. Last year, Bush had declared January National Mentoring Month.

“What’s great about mentoring is its simplicity,” says Nienhuis. “By being a consistent part of a child’s life, you give the child something trustworthy to build on.”