To better connect youth mentoring groups to local volunteers, the Community Foundation of Western Nevada has launched the program Nevada Mentors.
Nevada Mentors works as a comprehensive resource to assist in matching volunteers with youth from community organizations who may need guidance in school, social situations, and life in general.
There are currently nine organizations as part of the Nevada Mentors program, including, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada, Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows: Be Great Graduate Program, Dean’s Future Scholars, Eddy House: Cliff Climbers, Junior Achievement of Northern Nevada, The Trident Network at Sparks High School, Youth First Reno/Sparks, 360 Blueprint, and the Washoe CASA Foundation.
Volunteers can choose to work with groups or one-on-one with individuals of varying age ranges. Volunteer participation can range anywhere from twice a month or more.
“Nevada Mentors was formed to be a central location for potential mentors to find the information they need about mentoring, as well as be matched with the program that is right for them,” said Nick Tscheekar, initiatives director. “A mentor is the one person in a child or youth’s life who can truly make a difference.”
According to The National Mentoring Partnership, 1 in 3 young people will grow up without a mentor.
“Mentoring can have positive impacts on a child’s education, daily life and their future,” Tscheekar said.
Nevada Mentors is actively seeking volunteers. “We are launching an outreach program to individuals, retirees and working professionals in hopes to recruit more volunteers,” said Camille Glanzmann, associate initiatives director. “For many people who don’t have a lot of free time on their hands, some of the programs that need mentors require a fairly low time commitment to help make a difference in someone’s life,” Glansmann said.
For details on the program, and to discover more about volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.NevadaMentors.org, call the Community Foundation of Western Nevada at 775-333-5499 or email [email protected].
