Celebrate January as National Mentoring Month ...
January is National Mentoring Month, and Youth Mentoring at Helping Services For Youth & Families is celebrating National Mentoring Month by honoring mentoring friendships and inviting others to get involved in their community by becoming involved in mentoring. January is the perfect time to expand quality mentoring friendships and opportunities connecting more of the local community’s youth with caring adults.
Research shows that mentors play a powerful role in providing youth with the tools to make positive choices, attend and engage in school, and reduce or avoid negative behaviors. In turn, these youth are 55% more likely to be enrolled in college; 81% more likely to report participating in sports or extracurricular activities; 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities; and more than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team. Pictured above are some of the area mentors and the youth they mentor.
Yet, the same research shows that one in three youth in local communities will grow up without a mentor. There are currently 24 area youth waiting for a mentor. One of those youths is Jack. He is 10 years old and likes swimming, fishing, and the fair. He wants to be a police officer when he grows up. Interested individuals can find more waiting youth stories at https://bit.ly/YMHSwaitingyouth (*names have been changed for confidentiality).
National Mentoring Month is the time of year when engagement from community members interested in mentoring is highest. This year, with the support of the mentoring community, Helping Services for Youth & Families is encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement and become involved in real life.
There are many opportunities during the month of January to get involved. Proclamations have been signed by the County Boards of Supervisors Monday, January 6 in Winneshiek County and Delaware County, and Tuesday, January 7 in Clayton County. Proclamations are being signed in the near future by the County Boards of Supervisors, according to the following schedule:
● Monday, January 13 at 9:30 a.m. in Howard County (Courthouse in Cresco)
● Monday, January 13 at 11 a.m. in Allamakee County (Courthouse in Waukon)
● Monday, January 20 at 10:a.m. in Fayette County (Courthouse in West Union).
All friends and supporters of mentoring are welcome to attend one or all proclamation signings to help declare January National Mentoring Month. Saturday, January 18 Youth Mentoring participants from all six counties and their family members are headed to Elkader Cinema for a fun-filled afternoon at the movies from 12-3 p.m. Anyone interested in mentoring is more than welcome to join. Promotion of National Mentoring Month can also be found on table tents, posters, grocery stuffers, to-go stickers placed on to-go food containers, Facebook postings, a billboard and radio ads throughout the month.
Individuals, couples, and families can mentor a youth. Mentoring can happen in the community or at select schools. See a friend. Be a friend. Become a mentor! Men are especially needed to become mentors in the local community. Contact Colinne or Ellie at 563-387-1720 or mentoring@helpingservices.org, or visit www.helpingservices.org/mentoring for more information. Submitted photo.
