Matchmaking is still a tradition in many cultures, used by parents who want to find the perfect match for their daughter or son.

We at Raising HOPE are also matchmakers. Everyone interested in becoming part of Raising HOPE goes through an in-depth interview process where we learn about their goals, challenges, achievements and dreams. We consider the emotional, spiritual, physical, and intellectual strengths and interests of potential mentees and mentors, as well as socio-economic experiences and cultural preferences.

So, what makes a perfect match? Is there even such a thing? Perfect is sometimes not what it looks like on the outside. Sometimes a little bit of difficulty in the beginning grows into a dynamic and heartfelt partnership.

Some matches are even magical. Consider a recent pair who, unbeknownst to us, had the same birthday and the same scar on their right knees! They even dressed alike! Or another match in which the two women attended UCLA at the same time. And still another pair in which the mentee had a specific health condition which her retired Doctor Mentor specialized in when she was in practice! None of this was revealed until after the matches had been made. Magic!

Magical matchmaking is comprised of deep listening, asking the right questions, and a dusting of intuition. At Raising HOPE we look forward to continuing to make magical matches for a long time to come.