Mentoring Makes a Difference!

www.youthincrisis.info

     Youth in Crisis has reported that their Mentoring Program has 12 active matches and 9 new mentors in the process of being matched. The success is thanks to the response from the community, which has shown a commitment to support the youth.

One of YIC's active mentors, Todd Paulson,has been matched with Juan, an eigth grade student from Cicero, since January. Juan is one of five children and the only male. Todd was recently asked to share his thoughts regarding his mentoring experience.

What do you do with your mentee? We started out simply doing lunches and talking, which gave me a better idea of what he liked. Then we went to a few movies, the mall, and basically just started to hang out together.

What do you enjoy most? Just talking and getting to know what goes on in Juan's life and getting a sense of what he's into and his thoughts about things.

How do you manage the time commitment? It's simple to manage. We meet weekly on Saturday, late mornings for a few hours, so we both know generally to plan ahead.

What has been the biggest challenge? Having him open up. For the first couple meetings he was very quiet and he seemed to just go along with everything I said or did. I think as time went on, he started to see that he could say what's on his mind and that I was there to listen or give advice if need be.

Why would you recommend mentoring to other adults? Because you have an opportunity to become a person that this child looks up to, so you're more than a friend, you become an example. It's something that will help you be a better person overall.

Do you feel mentoring has been rewarding? This experience has been very rewarding, not only for myself but also for Juan. I can tell he likes having another guy to talk to, besides his dad.

Will you continue mentoring? Yes, I'd like to give other kids the advantage of this program because it can really help them advance in life and keep them from possibly doing something stupid. Too many kids out there are in the same situation as Juan. The only place they see to escape is the street and sometimes turn to joining gangs because they feel they need a new family to get away from their own. Most of the time, all they need is someone to talk with, have an alternative to just get away for a bit and have a positive influence in their life that can help them stay off the streets and grow as a person.

If mentoring is something you feel you could do to support a local young person, or you would like more information, please call Amy Barth at YIC (708) 484-7400 or email abarth@youthincrisis.info