For Bob Blume, the momentum was a combination of DNA and chance.

His parents were involved in mission work when he was growing up. Traveling as far as India at times, tirelessly volunteering to help those in need.

Today, Bob, a team manager at State Farm, continues his family’s legacy. A chance opportunity in 2001 opened a door for Bob to volunteer with Goodwill Industries of Denver. He spent the next eight years preparing kids for job interviews, exploring career opportunities, and teaching the basics of insurance.

In 2009, Bob saw another chance. He walked across the threshold of another open door by becoming a mentor with Goodwill’s Youth Career Development Program. One hour a week, he meets with high school students facing unimaginable challenges.

“Encouraging students and pointing them in the right direction is a big part of what I do. I enjoy getting to know them, watching them progress over the school year,” says Bob, who’s currently mentoring two high school seniors.

“The students can come from some pretty tough home environments — different from my youth,” he adds. “I wondered if I’d be able to help or relate to them.”

It turns out relating to the kids was easy. Bob finds they want what we all do – a chance to see their hopes and dreams come true.

“Regardless of their challenging situations, these kids all have similar hopes and dreams like I did at their age,” Bob shares. “It’s rewarding to see how hard they work to achieve what’s important to them.”

Because of his long time service, more than 500 volunteer hours, Bob received an award from a local television station.

“Goodwill is committed to providing metro-area, at-risk students real-world experience and guidance to help them envision a future career. We can’t do this without volunteers like Bob Blume,” says Stuart Davie, the President & CEO of Goodwill. “I’ve volunteered with Bob in our classrooms, and his dedication to our students year after year is inspiring. Goodwill is so thankful for people like Bob and businesses like State Farm who are committed to serving our students and ultimately changing lives and empowering our future workforce.”