Mentor Kids with the Ocean Community YMCA

BE SOMEONE WHO MATTTERS TO SOMEONE WHO MATTERS
Ocean Community YMCA Urges:  Kids Need YOU!  MENTORING WORKS!

The Ocean Community YMCA is urging Westerly, RI and Southeastern, CT residents to become involved in a young person’s life by volunteering some time to be a mentor as part of the Reach & Rise™ Mentoring Program.   

“January is National Mentoring Month,” says Debbie Scheinblum, MA, LPC, Reach & Rise™ Program Director at the Ocean Community YMCA, "and it’s a great time to think about young people in our community who could benefit from a relationship with a caring adult."   The theme this year is: MENTORING WORKS!  

“Mentoring is not just a feel-good strategy.” Scheinblum adds, “It has proven results for both the children and adults who care enough to make the commitment of just one hour a week.   We know young people who have a mentor are more likely to stay in school, get good grades and avoid alcohol and drugs.”

“Mentoring can benefit not only the child but the mentor as well”, Scheinblum notes.  “A mentor is more likely to increase his or her appreciation for diversity, feel more productive at work, develop core leadership skills, and communication skills, and feel good for having positively influenced another life.” 

“We have a dedicated core group of mentors who are a part of the Reach & Rise™ Mentoring Program at the Ocean Community YMCA.   But we need more adults to step up to the plate.  As little as one hour a week makes a difference in the life of a child."
 
“January 18, 2015 is “Thank Your Mentor Day” at the Ocean Community YMCA.   If you’ve benefited from having a mentor, we’re asking you to thank that person and then ‘pay it forward’ by becoming a mentor to a young person who is at risk of not achieving his or her full potential.    There will be a Reach & Rise™ Mentoring Program Informational Session on Thursday, January 15, 2015 @ 6:30 in the Westerly-Pawcatuck Branch, 95 High Street, Westerly, RI, 02891." 

Individuals or groups interested in learning more about Reach & Rise™ and the role that mentoring plays in our community are invited to contact Debbie Scheinblum, MA, LPC, at the Ocean Community YMCA at 401-596-2894 or 860-536-3575.  Scheinblum adds, “We urge you to kick off the New Year with us, because “MENTORING WORKS!”