National Mentoring Month

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Changing Lives...The One Hour Difference

Every year, January is National Mentoring Month. Hundreds of celebrations are held to honor mentors across the nation. Lincoln TeamMates celebrates with a Recognition Luncheon and Recognition Dinner that is usually held the last Thursday in January. TeamMates Sundays and mentor recruiting events are held at many Faith Based organizations on most Sundays in January.

The annual celebration of National Mentoring Month was launched on January 1, 2002. It was spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The campaign mobilizes community volunteers across the nation to help young people achieve their full potential.

Research has shown that programs that rely on volunteer mentors can play a powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence while greatly enhancing a young person's prospects for leading a healthy and productive life.

Dropping out of school is costly -- both to the person in potential earning power and to the community. The U.S. Department of Education estimates "every young person who drops out of school for a life of drugs and crime costs a state between $1.5 and $2 million." But by spending just one hour a week with your TeamMate, you are making a difference. Thank you for your commitment!

Any month is a good time to celebrate mentoring. Here are just a few suggestions:
• Attend TeamMates special events.
• Contact your mentor(s) to tell them how they influenced your life.
• Write a letter to your mentee about what mentoring him/her means to you.
• Encourage your mentee to create a message for you or other kids about what mentoring means to him/her.
• Request time in groups to which you belong (civic, social, faith-based) to tell the story of TeamMates or ask the TeamMates Office for a speaker for your groups.
• Plan a celebration of mentoring or special activities with your mentee.
• Read a book together about someone who overcame adversity and look for mentors in the story.
• Give a mentoring application to at least two friends or relatives.
• Make a special donation of time or money to Lincoln TeamMates.
• Re-read your Mentoring Training Manual for additional inspiration -- or get a new handbook if you were trained awhile ago.
• Attend a MentorNet meeting or Mentor Academy (contact TeamMates Office for a schedule)
• And know that TeamMates values your commitment to influencing this corner of the world.