We Need Your Help Finding 30 Mentors in 30 Days

VAILS GATE – January is National Mentoring Month, and this year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County is celebrating the annual campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring opportunities to connect more of our community’s young people with caring adults by seeking 30 mentors to join their program.

“Every day in our County, caring adults volunteer their time as mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County to create consistent and supportive relationships to young people.  At its most basic level, mentoring is successful in real life because it guarantees a young person has an adult to turn to and that they have a guiding hand to help them in dealing with day-to-day challenges. At a more complex level, there is a powerful mentoring effect that ultimately makes our communities stronger,” said Sharon Williams, Executive Director.

Research shows that mentors play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to make responsible choices, attend and engage in school, and reduce or avoid risky behavior like drug use.  In turn, these young people are:

–    55% more likely to be enrolled in college

–    81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities.

–    78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.

–    More than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team.

Yet, the same research shows that one in three young people in our country will grow up without a mentor.  Today, in our community over 35 children are waiting for a mentor.

National Mentoring Month is the time of year where engagement from community members interested in becoming a mentor is highest.  This year, with the support of the mentoring community, we are encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement – and become involved in real life.  Mentoring relationships are at their best when connections are made between a caring adult and a young person who knows that someone is there to help guide them through those real life decisions.

National Mentoring Month is led by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with support from the Highland Street Foundation.

Each year since its launch in 2002, National Mentoring Month has enjoyed the strong support of the President and the United States Congress. Other prominent individuals who have participated in the campaign include: Maya Angelou, former President Bill Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Quincy Jones, Cal Ripken Jr., Bill Russell and Usher.

To learn more about the role mentoring plays in our community and to find volunteer opportunities visit www.mentorachild.org