by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
The spelling of Charles “Bill” Maurer’s last name means “bricklayer” in German.
It doesn’t get more appropriate than that.
After a career in advertising and publishing, Maurer was looking for something to do. He wound up helping build the foundation for a young man’s newer, better life.
Maurer is archivist at St. John’s Cathedral Episcopal Church, a task he can “knock off in a couple of hours a week.”
He called Kesler Mentoring Connection after hearing their ads on the radio. He signed up and went through the mentoring program.
At the same time, Gene Hughes was at Inside/Outside, a faith-based residential home that opened in 2000. He was 15 years old at the time. He had been certified as an adult at the age of 13 for his involvement in a serious crime.
“It was determined that Gene had nothing to do with that offense,” said Johnnie Fisher, Inside/Outside’s house manager.
Still, he spent nine months in the Duval County Jail and became an Inside/Outside resident in October 2001.
All the young men at Inside/Outside are on adult probation when they arrive at the residential home, where they “get ready for independent living,” said Fisher. “Their probation always requires them to get back into education, maybe going for their GED or getting back into the school system, like Gene has done.
“I help them find a job. They do community service hours. They pay restitution if there is any. They have to pay their court costs and all their probation costs.
“And there’s always a mentoring component.”
Mentors who sign up for the jail juvenile program usually “establish a relationship while the kid is incarcerated,” said Keto Porter, administrator with the Juvenile Justice Division of the State Attorney’s Office. “The goal is to continue that relationship once they’re on the outside, to help the young men in whatever facet of life they choose.
“They assist in many ways. A big part is helping them get a job and getting them on the right track.”
Maurer and Hughes met in September 2002. The relationship has flourished ever since.
Maurer got Hughes a job as St. John’s Cathedral’s sexton, “a high-class English word for ‘maintenance,’ ” said Maurer.
Hughes works there about 15 hours a week, part-time after school. It becomes a full-time job in the summer.
In addition to the time they see each other at church, Hughes and “Mr. Bill” spend about two or three days a week together.
Maurer has given Hughes mini-driving lessons and helped him get his learner’s permit. Getting a permanent license is only three weeks away.
“We talk about basically what he’s interested in,” said Maurer.
“I’m grooming Gene to be my full-time mechanic,” he added with a laugh. “Just drop the car off with Gene. He’ll fix it.”
Hughes is enrolled in auto mechanics in the magnet program he attends. He wants to own a car business some day, and Maurer is already working on ways to help him out.
“I’m doing the ads for his car lot on Atlantic Boulevard, somewhere between Jaguar and Honda,” he said.
There was a shortage of positive male role models in Hughes’ life when he was younger, Porter said. Being around Maurer has changed all that.
“He met ‘Mr. Bill’ and has flourished into a fine young man,” said Porter. “Bill’s been a fantastic mentor, and I think that has provided a lot for Gene.”
Others have noticed, too. Maurer was named the State Attorney’s Office Mentor of the Year for 2003.
“If we could have a mold as a mentor,” said Fisher, “we should mold Bill. He’s such a role model for Gene.
“And he became a board member of Inside/Outside house. He’s added his wealth of knowledge, going above and beyond to help us here.”
Fisher also pointed out that “behind every great mentor is a good wife. Bill’s wife (Judy) has embraced Gene like he is her own. It’s just a phenomenal situation there.”
Hughes values the relationship:
“I get a lot of things out of it. He helps me make good decisions. He takes me places. And he’s there when you need someone to talk with.”
Maurer values the relationship just as much.
“I’m very selfish,” he said. “I get more out of it than Gene or anybody else.
“It’s better than publishing. Because in that business you only had a really great day the day the book came out. Not like this.”
Today is Thank Your Mentor Day. Kesler Mentoring Connection and local mentoring programs will pay tribute to mentors at a celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Landing.