Youth Guidance Mentor Orientation Dinner March 17, 2009

The Youth Guidance Mentoring & Activities Program of Indian River County will hold a Mentor Orientation Dinner in the Second Floor Conference Room of the United Way Center, 1836 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, on Tuesday, March 17, from 5:30-7:30 pm. Reservations are required; call 772-770-5040 to attend.

Gary Graham, Senior Outreach Coordinator, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, and Barbara Schlitt Ford, Executive Director of Youth Guidance, will lead the orientation session. This program, an initiative of the Mentor Center of CSCPBC, is an ideal opportunity for prospective and current Youth Guidance/GYAC mentors to get support and information for making mentoring relationships even more productive and rewarding.

The sessions are especially appropriate for persons who want to explore the possibility of becoming a mentor. Topics include the mission and goals of the program, the responsibilities and rewards of mentors, program demographics and requirements, confidentiality, and the qualities of successful mentors. The program explains practical techniques and discusses possible additional training opportunities.

The primary purpose of Youth Guidance is to match each of its 700 at-risk K-12 children with a volunteer mentor seventeen years and older to spend just a few hours a week with their assigned child. Many children registered in the program are waiting to be paired with mentors.

The agency is actively seeking volunteers who want to make a difference in a child’s life to serve as mentors or occasional volunteers or to provide regular help in the office.

Persons interested in learning more about the Mentor Orientation dinners, volunteering, or making a donation may visit www.ircyouth.com or call Barbara Schlitt Ford, Executive Director, at 772-770-5040 for more information or to make a reservation for the dinner.

Official Website: http://www.ircyouth.com