An adult volunteer from the community is matched with a child who, due to family or environmental factors, could significantly benefit from the additional support and guidance a mentor provides. Consistency is key to the success of the relationship between a child and their mentor. Children in our program look forward to seeing their “Big” regularly. Spending consistent time together allows for a meaningful and lasting relationship to develop.
Our Sibling Support Program, which is part of our Community Based Mentoring Program, specifically focuses on matching the siblings of special needs children with a volunteer mentor. Mentors can provide the additional support and individualized attention a sibling may be seeking. A Sibling Support match is designed to enrich the life of a child by providing one-to-one interaction and support for issues commonly faced by a special needs sibling including resentment, peer issues, embarrassment and pressure to achieve.
Mentoring is preventative! National and local studies show that children with mentors show improvements in school attendance, performance, self-confidence and the ability to make good decisions. They also have improved relationships with their family and friends. Children with mentors are significantly less likely to drop out of school. Having a mentor also makes children less likely to engage in drug and gang activity.
