You may be worried that you don’t have the training or the skills to mentor a child. Many people feel that mentoring is something for “professionals.” But that’s not the case! Mentoring is simply being yourself around a child. If you’re a natural born athlete, then maybe you could take your youth out bowling or to play a little basketball. If you’re more of the spectator type, that’s okay too! Lots of children would love to just sit and WATCH basketball with you. If you’re someone that enjoys music, cooking, gardening, or just eating pizza those are all activities that you can share with a child! Mentors aren’t experts and they’re not replacements for parents, they’re just a friend that can spend an hour weekly to help ensure that a child in your community reaches their full potential.
Becoming a mentor isn’t hard, either. When you contact us we’ll arrange a time that you can meet with one of our full-time specialists who can help you go through the initial application and start your background check. The information is not difficult or extensive, just the sort of thing you’d put on a job application. At that time, we’ll work with you to find out what your interests are and how we feel you can help a child. After the application is approved, we’ll provide you with training, match you with a child, and provide support all through the match. You’ll have e-mail and phone access to a professional who can help with any questions that come up. It’s that simple!
To start the process, e-mail us at info@amachiwv.org and find out how you can change the world…one child at a time.
If you represent a company, agency, church, or other group there are other ways you can get involved, too. You can e-mail us to find out how to distribute brochures, establish a mutual referral system, inform other organizations you’re connected with, or help share knowledge and resources about the special needs of this population in our community.
