Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Spring 2008)
TOPIC: Mentors Make a Difference
Community members 55 and up give boost to at-risk youth
 
by kathy hayes

The time a mentor spends with a youth may amount to only a few hours a week, but the difference that experience makes to the child can be life-changing. Kids and teens who enjoy regular, positive activities with an adult over the course of a year enjoy better self-esteem and better grades and attendance at school and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors.

After retiring last spring, Cliff Bergren connected with Volunteers of America. Since then, mentoring has become a fulfilling part of his life.

“Mentoring was always something I wanted to do,” says the former HP employee. For the last six months, Bergren, 61, has been a mentor to Terry, a seventh grader who lives with his mother and two sisters.

Deciding what to do together is never a problem, says Bergren. “Terry and I have so much in common it’s unreal.”

Bergren first met with Tiffany Lehman of Volunteers of America, who coordinates the community’s mentoring coalition. Lehman introduced Bergren to six different mentoring programs, including Mathews House, for teens transitioning out of foster homes; and Partners Mentoring Youth, targeted at 7- to 18-year-olds.
Become a Mentor

Volunteers of America provides mentors with handbooks, resources on free and low-cost activities, as well as trainings where mentors can network and learn from experts about child development topics. To get involved in any of the community’s six different mentoring programs – each has a different focus and time commitment – contact:

Tiffany Lehman, program coordinator
Volunteers of America
(970) 214-0049
youthmentor@frii.com.
 


Bergren then met with a coordinator at Partners Mentoring Youth. He and Terry were matched up based upon questionnaires they’d each completed, which showed that they had similar interests.

A perpetual handyman, Bergen says Terry, too, “just likes to get his hands on things.” The two have worked together to fix a broken lawnmower and repair Terry’s bike. They also enjoy muscle cars, shooting pool and going for bike rides.

“Research shows that mentoring is one of the best ways to positively impact youth,” says Lehman. Mentors, especially men, are in high demand. More than 80 boys are on the community’s mentor waiting list.

There is a strong focus on recruiting mentors 55 and older, Lehman adds. “Retirement isn’t what it used to be,” she says. “Retirees want to learn new skills and share their wisdom. These kids need that.”

Being a mentor gives at-risk youth a feeling of worth, knowing that someone really cares about them, says Bergren. “What you get back when you give to others is the best feeling in the world.”