"Are you a cop?"

Pat Maloney already felt conspicuous waiting for his Subway sandwich. Never before had he been in a fast-food restaurant where bulletproof glass stood between him and the help. Now a child half his size was calling further attention to him. And he looked like he really wanted an answer.

"No, I'm not a cop...why do you ask?"

"There just aren't a lot of white people in this neighborhood who arent cops," the boy answered matter-of-factly.

It was then that Pat recognized the logo on the boy's shirt: Circle-Rock Preparatory School. This was the exact place where Pat was volunteering that day, and he told the boy so. "Well, why don't you work there all the time?" asked the boy. "They could really use some help." Then he wanted to know if Pat had children (he does, five of them) and if they played sports. "Maybe I could play football with your kids," the boy suggested.

"He was five years old going on seventeen," says Pat.

So began a life-changing conversation between Pat Maloney and Lonnie McClain, kindergarten student at Circle-Rock Prep.

Pat didn't bargain for this encounter three years ago, when he began to take his faith more seriously. He didn't know what he was getting into when he suggested that his Bible study group put their faith into action. Nor did he know what to expect when friend and Bible study leader Johnny Musso took his suggestion seriously and invited him to spend a day on a work project at Circle.

But the Chicago Stock Exchange trader was up for adventure. So he accepted Johnny's invitation. On the workday he was appointed to get lunch for the crew, which led to the conversation with Lonnie. When he returned he told Johnny all about little Lonnie. "You should sponsor a child at Circle-Rock Prep," said Johnny, himself a sponsor. "Open the door and you never know what might happen in your lives."

Johnny brought the suggestion to his wife, Jamie, who quickly warmed to the idea. When she was a child, Jamie's family had sponsored a girl from Chicago and even helped finance her college education. That girl grew up to become a school principal in Chicago. The experience broadened Jamie's world, and she saw the potential for her own children. The Maloneys became Appleseed Partners of CRPS' kindergarten class. They came to our Appleseed Fellowship dinner, where the Maloney children met Lonnie for the first time.

Pat had already prepared his children to welcome Lonnie. But how would they respond? "They fell in love with him," says Pat. "You rarely see your children tested in real life experiences until they get older. But they were tested and passed with straight A's."

Since the dinner the Maloneys have committed to spend one day a month with Lonnie. One of those times, Pat brought Lonnie home to his mother after a long day. "My wife wants to know if you got the job you interviewed for," Pat asked her as he placed the sleeping child in her arms. "Yes," said Lonnie's mom. "You know, ever since we met you, good things have been happening to us."

"That put a tear in my eye," says Pat. "And I thought, 'Me too.'"

Wouldn't you like to be able to say "Me too"? The Maloney family entered the sponsorship door through a bold child's question in a Subway shop. Your response to this newsletter could open the door to a unique mentoring relationship by connecting you with one of our classrooms. The teachers have many ideas for how you can get to know their classes at a distance or more up-close-and-personal. It's all up to you. Say "Me too" today. Call Appleseed Program Coordinator Lonni Kehrein at 773/854-1644 or e-mail her at lonnik@circleurban.org.