The pair have a standing arrangement to hang out once a fortnight and often talk on the phone.
Mr Walker, a part-time music teacher also studying psychology at Auckland University, says the arrangement is flexible.
"If I have exams I can change our meeting. We meet on the weekend and go out for between two to six hours. It might be as simple as going to the park to feed the ducks or we might go and visit the museum."
Simon's partner and 3-year-old daughter occasionally come along but Simon says it's also important that at times it's just the two of them.
He says mentors are encouraged to stick with the programme for at least a year as it is unhelpful for children to have adults constantly coming and going from their lives.
"And it's not hard. A year has gone by really fast. You can still go away on holiday. It's no drama."
He doesn't see himself stopping.
"Ideally, it would be good to go to around 15 years old although that does depend on the circumstances and neither of us moving city. He's a good kid who has his problems but I want to be able to hang in there and help him."
Simon says minimal costs for the mentor are petrol and occasional activities. Next visit Simon and his child will visit the Sky Tower, thanks to a family pass which was donated to Pillars.
Although it's been different to his expectations, Simon encourages others to consider becoming a mentor.
"I think the important thing is to put your own feelings about [the child's] family and what's going on in their lives aside and make it about the kid. I think it is a way that you can effect change. It's not a glamorous cause. You can't stand on the street asking for money for kids of prisoners. I think that's why it goes under the radar a bit."
Pillars' mentoring co-ordinator Emma Currie says more people like Simon are desperately needed as mentors.
"We absolutely need more men. They are very hard to recruit and not as likely to volunteer as women."
She says although female mentors have to wait to be matched with a girl, there is a waiting list of 8- to 10-year-old boys waiting for mentors.
"We do get more boys on our programme as it's predominantly the father that goes to prison so the need for male role models is high."
Mentors, who have monthly group support meetings, are expected to make a minimum one-year commitment and they need to be over 18 with a vehicle and full driver's licence.
Pillars CEO Verna McFelin says at any one time around 20,000 New Zealand children have at least one parent in prison.
Mrs McFelin founded Pillars in Christchurch in 1988 and the Auckland centre was set up five years ago. She says statistics emphasise how important mentoring and wrap-around family support is for children of prisoners.
"Without help, these children are seven times more likely to go to prison than any other child."
OFFER A HAND
Pillars is a charity that provides mentoring for children of prisoners and support for their families. For more information call free 0508 745 5277 or email Emma at: emma.currie@pillars.org.nz
Website www.pillars.org.nz
Read the type of impact Pillars has: http://tinyurl.com/pillarsnews (PDF)
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