By Sheri DamronMSU Extension

Miki Della-Moretta of LMAS Health Department presents a smoke-free establishment award to Brenda Spencely (left) and Leeanne Trudo. With the New Year underway, it is a great time to reflect and take an honest look at our selves and think about what we can do for youth in our community. Think back about your life. Most of us can probably think of a person who took a special interest in us and made a difference in our lives. Many children in Mackinac County do not have such a person in their lives. Without positive role models, young people can easily be led down the wrong path.

A mentor can make the difference as to whether a child succeeds in developing the confidence and self-esteem necessary to grow into a healthy, productive adult. The Robert H. Nitz Mentoring Program serves all of Mackinac County, and matches caring adults with at-risk youth ages 5 to 17. The program has quite a few children on the waiting list and is seeking adult volunteers to help them.

What exactly is a mentor? A mentor is a special friend, a positive role model, an encourager, a fun companion, and a good listener. A mentor is able to give a child an optimistic view of life. By spending a few hours a week together, the mentor sends the child the message that he or she is important. Mentors provide children with guidance to make better choices in life, and expose them to opportunities they might not otherwise have had.

Mentoring is a fairly new concept, but has been acknowledged to be the most successful investment in prevention we can make. Youth who are matched with a mentor benefit greatly. They improve their self-confidence, improve their attitudes, increase their interest in staying in school, improve their relationships with others, and are less likely to get involved with drugs, alcohol, and other delinquent behaviors.

Mentoring benefits the mentors as well. It improves their values and morale, helps them to feel more satisfied, to learn about themselves, and to get a fresh perspective on their lives.

Mentoring is about people helping youth to succeed, and the importance of ensuring that youth are connected with positive role models. To be a good mentor, one does not have to have a background in child development. Good mentors just have to care, be good listeners, and offer support and encouragement. All it takes is a couple of hours a week, and a desire to make a difference in the life of a child.

It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on activities with a child. It is the time spent together that matters. Some of the best things to do together are free: play sports, cook, make crafts, hike, go to the park, go to the library, or use computers. Group activities are provided six times a year and have included snow shoeing, rafting, swimming, bowling, and local sight-seeing activities. These group activities give the youth and mentor opportunities to interact with other mentors and mentees.

I urge you to make a decision to be a special friend for a youth in our community. Training and time commitments for the mentoring program are very flexible and can accommodate any schedule. If you would like to give back to your community and make a difference in the life of a child, please contact program coordinator Sheri Damron at the MSU Extension office at 643-7307 or (800) 555-7307.