On Wednesday July 21, 2021, the Mentoring Program held its first meet and greet. The event was designed to reach out to members of the community and share with them how the Mentoring Program makes an impact on youth throughout Clark County. Two separate sessions were held, one in the morning and another at night, to allow everyone who wanted an opportunity to attend.
Co-Directors Bryan Moore and Julie Driskill used a PowerPoint presentation to display the different ways mentors support their mentees. Some of the ways listed were:
Completing training that helps them identify signs of potential abuse.
Providing access to participate in “Mental Health First Aid,” which is provided by Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services
Mentoring students in a variety of settings including: Tecumseh Local Schools, Greenon Local Schools, Clark County Juvenile Detention Center, School of Innovation, Ohio Game Changers, and after-school programs.
Training on how to effectively use their age-appropriate curriculums and activities to break ground with the mentee.
Listening, motivating, and directing students to provide them with support and the tools to succeed.
A secondary goal of the event was to invite potential mentors to learn about the program. The Mentoring Program takes extensive steps to ensure that its students are matched with mentors that can best relate to and support them. Having a variety of mentors helps ensure that each mentee has the best chance of benefiting from the program. Bryan and Julie described to all the participants how to become a mentor, the training involved, and how they complete their reporting. Two of the participants have signed up and begun the process to become a mentor.
The meeting ended with Bryan and Julie showing the participants around the FYI facilities to demonstrate how all of the programs assist each other. FYI has four separate programs but a common goal is at the foundation of each: “Empowering Families, Providing Hope.”
Following the event, Co-Director Bryan Moore expressed his optimism for the future of the Mentoring Program, “We are excited about the future of the Mentoring Program and the relationships, partnerships, and collaborations we are making with individuals, businesses, and other nonprofits. This is what community is all about. People say it takes a village to raise a child. Some of the villagers aren’t sure how they can participate, so we plan to have more Meet & Greet events so they can learn how to help us rescue children and raise them to become community leaders.”
After a productive first event, the Mentoring Program is making new connections, adapting to the ever changing needs of its students, and excitedly planning for the upcoming school year.
To get involved in FYI’s Mentoring Program, call (937) 845-0403 or email bryan@fyiohio.org.
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