Mentoring Youth – How to Volunteer
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By :
Stephen G
Submitted
2012-02-06 09:40:42 |
Mentoring Youth – How to Volunteer
Mentoring youth has been around since the beginning of relationships.
Mentoring is a relationship between an adult and a young person with the adult acting as an advisor and friend.
Youth may be without wise counsel or a good role model and the mentor helps the young person overcome difficulties in life.
There may be obstacles to becoming a mentor. We will discuss some of these obstacles and offer ways to overcome them.
Obstacle #1 – I don’t have time to be a mentor.
If you are imagining that you will need to add several hours per week to your hectic schedule you will be surprised. The first step to take is to explore several mentoring opportunities to inquire about the minimum amount of time they require.
Several mentoring programs ask for a minimum of one hour per week for at least six months. Others ask for a commitment of a whole school year.
You will be establishing a long-term relationship with a child so don’t pursue this type of volunteer work if you can’t adjust your personal schedule around the requirements of the child. Appointments should not be broken except for an emergency.
Obstacle #2 – I don’t know much about being a mentor.
A wonderful resource that explains what being a mentor is all about can be found at:
beamentor.org - If you know of someone who is a mentor to youth, take him or her to lunch to get inside information of what it’s like to be a mentor.
Check with your church, employer, community outreach organization, school district or courts about mentoring opportunities.
Obstacle #3 – I don’t have much experience with children.
You will gain experience very quickly as a mentor.
All you need to become a mentor is a heart that wants to make a difference. You will begin by being a mentor to one child who needs your compassion and willingness to help.
You will also be trained to be a mentor and will always have support from the organization.
Obstacle #4 – I’m not sure I would enjoy being a mentor.
There is no more enjoyable volunteer opportunity than being a mentor.
Your child may take some time to warm up to you and this new relationship, but whatever time it takes will be well worth it. As mentioned earlier, you will receive training to help make this experience as successful and enjoyable as possible.
When you combine training with a caring heart you will not regret becoming a mentor.
Obstacle #5 – The child insists that he doesn’t want a mentor.
This child may be a victim of broken promises.
He or she has never experienced a caring and committed adult in his or her life and have built up walls to keep from being hurt again. It may take extra time to scale those walls. You will need to stay committed to your objective of helping a child succeed despite what s/he has been through in the past.
In Conclusion
Every child deserves to have an adult in his or her life that cares whether or not they succeed. You will find several organizations in your area that are begging for more mentors.
Every child who wants a mentor should have one. Mentoring youth is a worthwhile cause to be a part of.
Mentoring Youth – How to Volunteer By Stephen G
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