Angels Camp, CA…January 2022 is the 20th Annual National Mentoring Month, and this year Calaveras Mentoring is celebrating with expanded community outreach and an annual fund drive.
National Mentoring Month is the time of year when mentoring programs around the country celebrate mentoring and seek to engage their communities. Volunteer mentors help build life skills while expanding social networks for our young people.

“We are excited to acknowledge National Mentoring Month. This month celebrates the importance of our mentoring programs and how the relationships built can help our students break free of isolation,” said Scott Nanik, Calaveras County Superintendent of Schools. Calaveras County boasts a variety of mentoring programs that include one-on-one mentoring, group mentoring, and school-based mentoring. Mentoring has been deeply ingrained in the community since the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program was launched in 2003. Calaveras County Office of Education mentoring programs have grown to include Friday Night Live (FNL) Mentoring, the Independent Living Program (ILP), and Adventures in Mentoring (AIM) in addition to the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program (CYMP). Calaveras also now has a Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, which provides skilled volunteers to mentor and advocate legally for youth in foster care. The Calaveras Mentoring Foundation (CMF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that raises awareness and support for mentoring in Calaveras County, is embarking on its first-ever direct mail campaign this month. The goal is to educate more of the local community about the programs and local opportunities to become a mentor. The outreach campaign is designed to complement this year’s annual fund drive and build on publicity created by the national campaign. Community supporters such as the Rite Aid Foundation and the Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation have helped to kick off the annual fund drive.

“Everyone is eager to return to in-person relationships and support our community,” said CMF President Donna Shannon, who was the first volunteer matched as a mentor in Calaveras in 2003. “We want to remind all those wonderful, safe volunteers out there that we have high quality, local mentoring programs with many ways to get involved!”

Interested community members can learn more about Calaveras Mentoring programs by attending a virtual “Info Session” (visit CalaverasMentoring.org to view dates and RSVP.) Supporters can contribute financially by participating in fundraising events, becoming a Friend Forever, or donating to the Annual Fund Drive; visit calaverasmentoring.org/support-us to learn how to sign up for EScript, Amazon Smile, and RiteAid Kidcents, at little to no cost. ###