The Volunteer Mentor Program is designed to serve at-risk populations within our community: local elementary public school children, parenting and pregnant teens, youth placed in temporary foster care placements and teens emancipating from the foster care system. The program’s focus is to identify youth in these at-risk populations early so that interventions can be more effective, enabling them to build positive self-esteem and plan concrete educational, personal and professional goals.
We pair mentees with suitable mentors who provide companionship, support and advocacy. The program is fully coordinated by CFCS staff who recruit, screen, train and supervise volunteer mentors.
Volunteers are not social workers, psychologists, or even counselors; they are simply caring community members—college students, retirees, and professionals—willing to share some of their life experience and wisdom. These special individuals offer friendship, respect and guidance to children and families in need. They commit for a minimum of one year, giving approximately 8 hours each month towards building a relationship with their mentee. The role of the volunteer mentor is critical to the success of CFCS. CFCS staff and mentors work together to make a true difference, helping mentees become more independent, responsible, self-reliant, and ultimately, contributing members of the community.