Over a decade ago, Tim Davis sat down for coffee with two friends in downtown Salem. This was a 20-year-old tradition for them: conversing over lattes.
Their dialogue this morning was about absent fathers in Marion County and the damaging effects on individuals.
“We were just looking around at our culture, realizing that hey, there’s a real problem with fatherlessness. Let’s do something about it,” Davis said.
That conversation sparked his ambition and his later formation of Valor Mentoring. The Keizer nonprofit works to counteract fatherlessness with mentorship. The Keizer Chamber of Commerce in January honored that mission, naming Valor Mentoring its Nonprofit of the Year.
Moving forward, Valor Mentoring plans to open a new public space and further cultivate talent in Salem-Keizer youth.
According to Corri Falardeu, executive director of the Keizer Chamber of Commerce, Valor Mentoring was cited “because they provide hope for the youth in Keizer…not to mention the countless things they do for the community and other organizations.”
Davis launched Valor Mentoring in 2017, utilizing his 20 years of mentoring experience. In those days, Davis and his small team worked with an annual budget of around $40,000 and clocked around 2,500 annual mentoring hours in its first years.
Drawing from his own experience as a father, Davis realized that kids are passionate about extracurricular activities like dance, music, and media.
“There’s plenty of sports programs. There’s not a lot of places where you can come to learn how to play guitar, or sing, or write and record music and videos,” he said.
In 2020, Valor Mentoring bought the bowling alley on River Road North. The REC – as it’s now called – provides a safe space for the Keizer community, and for programs such as lessons in guitar, piano and hip-hop dance.
“Students need a space to be that safe, and sometimes that space that’s not home… a space where they can see their friends, they can do activities, and be around people that will pour into their lives,” said Alyssa Walker, who handles programs and communications for Valor Mentoring.
In 2024, the nonprofit opened The REC: Grange coffee shop and community center, offering another safe space for Salem-Keizer youth.
Since 2017, Valor Mentoring has grown exponentially. Now, it operates with a $1.6 million budget, and it posted over 75,000 mentoring hours in 2024.
Valor Mentoring’s budget is supported by revenue from its facilities, private donors, and grants. It also hosts four major fundraisers annually, including a series of free concerts at Keizer Rapids Park throughout the summer.
“We view success by the changed lives that we invest in,” said Davis. They try to keep a balance of mentors and mentees, which is rarely a problem.
“More people are willing to volunteer their time because they understand that there are kids everywhere who are silent about any kind of hurt they have,” said General Manager Fausto Ramos.
Most mentors come from local churches, which hold events in Valor Mentoring’s facilities. Mentees are typically from Salem-Keizer schools.
This year, Valor Mentoring partnered with Chemeketa Community College to provide education opportunities for youth.
According to Marie Hulett, Chemeketa’s executive director of institutional advancement, the program provides “participants with career exploration, early internships, short-term credential training, and employment support.”
That program reflects Valor Mentoring’s broader goal of developing local talent through their network.
Mackenzie Mullins is a product of that effort. She discovered Valor Mentoring as a McNary High School sophomore when her aunt recommended that she apply for a job at The REC.
Shortly after joining the kitchen staff, she also became a mentee. Her life, which at the time was in disarray, was changed.
“The REC was family-oriented. Every person in there supported you. Customers wanted to be there. Working here, you’re just surrounded by good people and a support system,” she said.
Mullins also cited her faith in God – which her mentors nourished – as a major factor in turning her life around.
Once Valor Mentoring bought The REC: Grange, Mullins became the head manager of the coffee shop.
“They knew I needed a fresh start…so they gave me a manager position, and now I’m thriving. It’s been great,” she said.
Developing talent, as accomplished with Mullins, is Valor Mentoring’s primary goal moving forward. Leaders hope to expand their team, graduating mentees to team positions by harnessing talent. This will help them achieve other goals, like opening a new McKay High School-based facility.
“There’s a direct correlation between how much work we can do, and how many great people we attract…and we want to attract five times the amount of talented young people that we currently have,” Davis said.
Contact reporter Riley Ellis: [email protected].
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