Friday, 04 June 2010 06:00

Mentor Works! Program Seeks Mentors to Help At-Risk Youths

slide4-mentor_works_program_seeks_mentors_to_help_at-risk_youths.pngAmador County – The Mentoring Works program in Amador County is looking for adult volunteers. Mentors are asked to commit to the program for at least one year, and be willing to spend two hours a week with their match. Program Coordinator Lori Halvorson said the “Mentoring Works program matches at-risk youth in a one-to-one relationship with a caring, consistent adult volunteer.” She said in a release last week that research shows youths who are involved in mentoring activities are “significantly more likely to develop attitudes and habits that help ensure their success.” She said “some very impressive statistics” are linked to youths who are matched with mentors. Halvorson said compared to youths without mentors, “children with mentors are 46 percent less likely to begin drug use and 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol.” Mentored youths also reported that being involved in a mentoring program improved their ability to stay out of trouble, and 59 percent of those in a mentoring program showed an improvement in their grades at school. The Mentoring Works program has been in existence in Amador County for more than 12 years, most recently in 2007. At that time, there were more than 20 matches between mentors and their protégés. If people “are interested in becoming a positive influence in a young person’s life,” they may contact Lori Halvorson to learn more about the program. Call (209) 223-1485 ext. 242 or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. TSPN TV News Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.