For the past 10 years, retirees Glenda and Butch Goff have volunteered once a week at Elberta Elementary, seeking to make a difference in students' lives through the Wonder Girls and Heroes programs.

The programs are unique to Elberta Elementary. With support from guidance counselor Sonja Blount and principal Hope Zeanah, the Goffs work with about 10 third grade boys and 15 girls who teachers and parents feel would benefit from receiving additional assistance with their social and emotional development.

“This program is an example of one generation mentoring the next generation,” Blount said. “That is what's so beautiful about it. Butch could be out on the golf course, and Linda could be in a reading club, but they are concerned about the next generation, and they want to see these kids become successful, productive members of society. What a gift it is for these third graders to hear the lessons they've learned over 60 or 70 years of living.”

Glenda is a retired Elberta Elementary teacher. The program, which was originally geared toward boys only, began when she volunteered Butch to mentor a group of boys in kindergarten through third grades.

Butch, who served in the U.S. Army's Green Beret unit and worked in management after his service, says he was excited to volunteer at the school and share his knowledge with the boys.

“I'm interested in them because I want them to succeed in life,” Butch said. “My program is designed to handle character traits like respect, self-discipline and responsibility. You want to bring them up to where they're trustworthy. I want them to be able to go in for an interview one day and the potential boss be able to say, 'I can trust that guy.'”

Currently, the program is open to girls and boys in third grade only. The Goffs realized the older students could understand and retain the information better than the kindergartners and first graders.

Both the Wonder Girls and Heroes programs promote similar ideals like making good choices, being kind to others, staying in school and having good personal hygiene, but there are differences — the Wonder Girls learn about the importance of manners and being ladylike, while Butch teaches the boys about survival skills and the importance of “becoming a hero, not a zero.”

“I think they're the best, because they taught us stuff about what we need to do and how we have to be polite to people,” said Dianna Wease, a Wonder Girl. “They are like our family.”

Blount says she hopes the programs are not only a great way to teach kids life skills, but will also be effective in dropout prevention.

“We're trying to do something at the lower levels to prevent high school dropouts,” she said. “We're focusing more on emphasizing the need for good attendance, building character and self-advocacy — being able to ask for help if they need it.”

The program is in its 10th year, and some of the first students in the program are getting close to graduation. Elberta Elementary invites Foley High School seniors to come back and visit the school, and Blount and the Goffs can't wait to follow up with past Heroes and Wonder Girls as they near graduation.

But the students aren't the only ones who reap benefits from the program.

“We have gained a lot from the children,” Glenda said. “You don't know exactly what the end result is going to be, but you know you are doing what God wants you to do. I feel like it is part of God's plan for my life. You just can't be self-centered.”

The children are so grateful for the love and attention they receive from the Goffs and are always giving hugs and compliments, especially the girls, Glenda said.

“If you're down in the dumps and they start loving on you, you think, 'Well, at least somebody loves me today,'” she said. “We really love them, and they love us.”