Men Needed for Mentoring Works
By Elena Linehan, Mentoring Works Coordinator
The only tool God has to make a man is a boy. Who that boy becomes is a product of the influences in his life.
Think back to the people who influenced you as you grew up. Who were the people who led the way for you? Who showed you how to make a right decision?
In some cases that leader was a coach, or a scout leader, or a youth minister. In other cases it is someone in the family – a parent, an uncle or grandparent.
In Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency’s (ATCAA) Mentoring Works program, we seek out caring adults willing to be that person in a youth’s life.
Mentors are matched one-on-one with children for a one-year commitment. The child and the mentor get together two to four hours each week. They can also attend monthly events planned by the Mentoring Works Program. The goal is to find similar interests and build friendships that can last their whole life.
ATCAA has operated a mentoring program for the past 12 years. While we have consistently enjoyed having a strong team of volunteers, each year we are short of men willing to mentor boys.
Adults over 18 years old interested in working with children at risk can contact ATCAA’s Mentoring Works Program for an application form. Potential mentors are screened through the Department of Justice and the Megan’s Law Database. Personal references are checked. A one-hour orientation is held to outline the expectations of the Mentoring Works Program. Mentors attend a six-hour training before they begin to serve and attend optional Mentor Roundtable trainings throughout their year of service.
The benefits of being mentored are amazing. Compared with youth without mentors, the children with mentors are less likely to use drugs, showed improvement at school, and were more likely to stay out of trouble. But most importantly, these children credited their mentors as the reason they were able to succeed.
New mentor trainings are held throughout the year. Contact the Mentoring Works
