Here in Tidewater, local organizations like Seton Youth Shelters, Girls with Goals Alliance, and The Up Center connect passionate mentors with children in need of extra guidance. Let’s take a look at a few inspiring mentor/mentee relationships and learn more about the benefits of mentoring.
Kids need adult role models to look up to and trust. Parents may be the first role models a child has, but sometimes listening to Mom and Dad can be a drag. It’s often easier to confide in another person, someone who can provide a neutral perspective. In some cases, parents may not be available to a child to talk to. A trusted adult can help children work through problems and take steps toward their dreams.
“Mentoring gives a child their own personal life coach,” said Tashara Void, who has recently completed a service term as an AmeriCorps VISTA leader for Hampton Roads and is now a trainer and technical assistance provider with the Virginia Mentoring Partnership. A mentor is “someone who has been where they are and can show them how to move past this phase of their life,” according to Tashara.
Here in Tidewater, local organizations like Seton Youth Shelters, Girls with Goals Alliance, and The Up Center connect passionate mentors with children in need of extra guidance. Let’s take a look at a few inspiring mentor/mentee relationships and learn more about the benefits of mentoring.
POSITIVE OUTLOOK
Toniette Parker and her mentee, Maya* (name has been changed for confidentiality), also share a close relationship through the Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) program at Seton Youth Shelters in Virginia Beach.
MCP is one of many programs offered by Seton Youth Shelters and is available to any child ages 4-18 who has been affected by the incarceration of a person in his or her life, not necessarily a parent. The goal of the program is to provide mentors who will “foster a sense of self-confidence and a positive outlook for the future,” according to the website. The shelter also provides counseling, anger management for children, drug education, and support groups, all free of charge.
Carrie Weiler, director of the MCP program, emphasizes the importance of a mentor in a child’s life. “Just keep in mind the huge impact that one positive role model can have on a child,” she said. “It’s really a huge thing.”
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