Teen mentoring program seeks Valley volunteers

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

jgoodwin@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Edith Smith remembers watching the effect that the untimely death of a parent had on a junior-high school girl.

Smith, a family-readiness community leader at Volney Rogers Middle School on the West Side, also remembers how the young girl responded when paired with a mentor in the GoodGuides Youth Mentoring Program of Youngstown.

She said the female mentor was able to act as a positive role model, helping fill some of the void of the loss of her parent.

Finding and helping young people such as those seen by Smith is why Don Garret is looking for a few good men — as well as women, seniors and late teens — to volunteer in the GoodGuides Youth Mentoring Program of Youngstown.

Garrett, director, said the program always needs mentors.

The Youngstown program is part of a national initiative by Goodwill Industries International to promote opportunity and positive choices for youth who are at-risk for delinquency. It is funded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The local program is one of 56 sites located in 36 states. The local chapter, based in the , has been running for a year.

Garrett said the local program currently has 64 children involved, all working individually with personal mentors. He said children in the program are not necessarily problem kids.

“‘High risk’ is a broad term. It could be someone who is doing well in school, someone referred to us by the court or someone referred to us for counseling,” Garrett said. “Those being mentored realize they need the help.”

Tracey Lewis, GoodGuides program assistant, said the help to the young people can come in the form of guidance, school tutoring, homework assistance or help in preparing kids for life after high school.

Having a mentor, Smith said, could provide an outlet for a child to talk when they feel as if they cannot talk to parents or other adults in the family setting.

“Sometimes our children will not open up to us, but will be more inclined to open up to a mentor who is there working with them on a regular basis,” she said. “This also gives support to the parents.”

Youth involved in mentoring programs, Garrett said, are far less likely to engage in activities such as illegal drug use, drinking alcohol, skipping school and violent acts toward others. He said the program’s goal is to increase self-esteem, increase school performance and facilitate better relationships with parents.

“This program has made a difference. We talk to those being mentored monthly and we see the impact,” Garrett said. “One girl in the program told us she just got her first A. Her mentor helped her study and she received an A.”

Garrett said one of the main problems the program faces is having more young people in need of mentors than there are available mentors.

He encourages those in the community with available time, particularly black men, to become part of the program and mentor at least one young person.

“We need some guys to step up and say they are willing to work with the kids in the community,” Garrett said.

Mentors are all volunteers and required to spend a minimum of four hours per month with the child being mentored. Mentors are also required to be available to talk with the child by phone on a weekly basis.

Anyone interested in joining the program can contact the GoodGuides mentoring program at the Goodwill Industries. Prospective mentors are required to fill out an application, which is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and take part in a four-hour training session before being paired with a child.

“If they want to do it, all they have to do is give us a call,” Garrett said. “We are always in need of mentors.”