Agency Details:
Mower County Mentoring Program
Mower County Mentoring Program aims to positively impact the life of a young person in need of another caring adult in his/her life.
Description:
Let's get the MEN into MENtoring. Right now we have 10 young men just waiting for a fellow to step forward and mentor them. Mentoring is a committed relationship between an adult and a youth focused on developing the character and capabilities of the young person.
A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides a young person with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors are encouraged to spend 1-4 hours weekly with their mentees. They go to the park, the library, the movies; they play games and do crafts, etc. They learn together and have fun together.
Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there.
The youth are usually between 8 and 18 in age and are referred to the program by school personnel or parents.
Mentoring not only helps the child that's mentored, but it gives the adult a great experience, too.
History:
Mower County Mentoring has been active in the county about 10 years. There are currently about 50 youth who are paired with about 40 mentors. There are about 10 youth waiting for a mentor to volunteer.
Mentors have come from all walks of life and are from all age groups.
Young adults who were once youth in the mentoring program say their mentor brought out a different side of them and was someone who was always 'there for them'. Many of them have gone on to college and say their goals and expectation were raised because of mentoring.
Contact people:
Address:
Web Site: None specified
Directions:
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Located in the southwest corner of the Mower County Courthouse |
| Last updated on August 14, 2009 |
Volunteer Reflections
Post Your Own!
Mower County Mentoring Program
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Overall Experience
Note these reflections by several different mentors in the agency.
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Jacob and I were paired together over two years ago. It has been a fun and interesting journey remembering what it is like to be around adolescent
boys after raising two of my own.. The Mentoring program is a great way
to help make a difference in a child's life. Being a male mentor is not a difficult job. I have learned that my primary responsibility is to try and
be a positive male role model to Jacob. Spending time with Jacob each
week is something I look foreword to. We have developed a friendship that I suspect will last for many years. - Greg
Mentoring gives you as mentors the opportunity to still do things that you may not do otherwise. When I eventually become a grandfather, I will be ready and will have some ideas of what to do with the young grandchildren. - Ken
I guess If I had to sum it up into a sentence; I would say that the most enjoyable part of being a mentor is knowing the difference both my mentee and myself are making in each other's lives. - Micheal
posted on August 14, 2009 |
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