BALTIMORE, MD — Across six schools in Baltimore, high school freshman are selected for a program called Thread.
After an interview process they're paired with a volunteer for ten years.
"I wanted to be a part of Thread because I felt like at the time I was going through a lot of personal issues at home and I felt like this would help me escape from what was going on and Thread definitely gave me like a family," said Shamiara Horton, a Thread young person.
Horton joined Thread in 2014.
Now, she's a leader for other kids in the program, as she finishes up her last year connected to her volunteer.
"Thread is more than what it seems. Like, you can call thread and be like 'Man, I don't know if I'm going to pass this class,' and instead of them being like your parents would be just screaming at you they gonna help tutor you. If you need extra books; sometimes it could be something as simple as an eye check. They're going to help you get anything you need," said Horton.
Horton was partnered up with Meg Chow, a Hopkins medical student at the time, searching for a sense of community in Baltimore.
"It's not a mentorship, it's not just coming in and being a charity, i think it's how do we build relationships as a whole and be apart of our community," said Chow.
Horton says it started out with Chow helping her with things like homework, now they're really friends.
"Then when I saw that she had good intentions, I was like you know what, we can be cool," said Horton.
Now, the two might go a few weeks without talking but pick back up like nothing's changed.
Truly, building a lifelong impactful connection.
