Goodwill program seeks mentors
January is National Mentoring Month, and Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida is asking adults to spend just one hour a week to make a positive difference in a young person’s life. Goodwill GoodGuides is currently seeking responsible and caring adults to mentor youth aged 12 to 17 in Southwest Florida. To commemorate National Mentoring Month, Goodwill is hoping to recruit 50 new mentors for the program by Jan. 31.
“There’s still an overwhelming need for youth to have compassionate mentors in their life,” says Laura Allard, GoodGuides program manager. “Research shows that mentoring works. It is changing lives and helping youth stay in school with the support and guidance of strong role models who reach out and show they care.”
GoodGuides is hosting two mentor training sessions this month in order to prepare mentors for their GoodGuides experience. The sessions will be held on Thursday, January 13 and Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Job-Link Family Resource Center in Fort Myers (4162 Palm Beach Boulevard). Persons interested in attending one of these mentor training sessions are asked to call Allard at 823-6931 to RSVP in advance.
Interested mentors who cannot make one of the scheduled training sessions can also sign up for one-on-one training by calling the above phone number. However, all GoodGuides mentors must complete training and orientation before month’s end.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, GoodGuides is a two-year program that helps young people who are at risk for dropping out of school, those who are facing legal trouble, and those who are at risk for delinquency. The goal of GoodGuides is to help young people in Southwest Florida build career plans and skills; prepare them to finish school or obtain post-secondary training; and help them gain productive work lives by providing structured and supportive relationships with trusted adult mentors.
“As the mentoring relationships have developed through trust and friendship, our mentors have exposed their mentees to new experiences where they are now able to see greater opportunities.” Allard adds, “Some are even looking at possible colleges to attend. This is a big step for many of these youth because they will be the first in their family to attend college.”
GoodGuides is also accepting youth ages 12-17 who would like to be paired with a mentor.
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. (www.goodwillswfl.org) provides programs and services that help people with disabilities and other disadvantages overcome their barriers to employment and independence. In addition to GoodGuides, Goodwill’s programs include Job-Link services, income-sensitive housing for people with disabilities and seniors, vehicle assistance, and the L.I.F.E. Academy charter school for students with developmental disabilities.
For more information about Goodwill’s programs and services, visit www.goodwillswfl.org.