Angels Camp, CA…This January marks the 15th annual National Mentoring Month, a campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring programs and connecting more of our community’s young people with caring adults. Here in Calaveras County, the Calaveras County Office of Education administers three youth mentoring programs: Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, FNL Mentoring, and SWAG Young Adult Mentoring. Both the Calaveras County Board of Education and the Board of Supervisors annually recognize National Mentoring Month and express their gratitude for our community’s volunteer mentors.

“It’s widely known that being matched with a mentor can have a positive effect upon a young person’s future,” said Colleen Nunn, coordinator of mentoring programs for the Calaveras County Office of Education. “But the best part is that mentoring isn’t just good for the kids. Mentoring builds relationships that are as meaningful for the volunteer as they are for the young person. Being a mentor can be really fun!”

This year the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is taking its message for National Mentoring Month directly from one of its own volunteer mentors. After spending time with his 17-year-old mentee, Tom Suarez of Valley Springs always reports to the program that he had “another great day with a great kid!”

“Matt is an amazing fisherman!” said Tom. “When Matt is fishing, he’s totally in the zone. I get energized just being around his passion and excitement. It always makes my day when I hear him shout out, ‘I got one!’ Matt is just the coolest kid I know.”

The same enthusiasm is echoed by many of the volunteer mentors in the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program. “Mentoring has given me the opportunity to try new things and go on adventures I normally wouldn’t have made time for,” said Kristen Schott of Arnold.

“One of my mentee’s favorite things to do is to go out exploring the hills around our property,” said Mike Ryan of Murphys. “And that just happens to be one of my favorite things to do too! We’re a great match.”

The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program connects local youth with safe, positive mentors who offer friendship, opportunity, and support for making healthy life decisions. Volunteer mentors commit to spend a few hours every week with their mentee for one year having fun and building a friendship. Currently, 18 young people from all over Calaveras County are waiting to be matched with mentors. These young people are voluntarily involved in the Mentoring Program. They are all actively seeking a friendship with a supportive adult.
The Calaveras County Office of Education also administers the FNL Mentoring Program and SWAG (Students With A Goal) Young Adult Mentoring Program. FNL Mentoring is a youth development and prevention program which matches 7th and 8th grade protégés from Toyon, Mark Twain, and Avery Middle Schools with older, wiser 10th-12th grade mentors from Calaveras and Bret Harte High Schools. SWAG Young Adult Mentoring is for foster youth who are 16-21 years old. SWAG mentors support foster youth in developing important adult skills like how to buy a car or how to apply for a job.

The Calaveras Mentoring Foundation’s mission is to educate the community and develop volunteer and financial support for the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program. The Foundation is currently in the midst of its annual appeal fund drive and is recruiting ongoing donors for its Friends Forever program. Visit calaverasmentoringfoundation.org to make a donation.

For more information about the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, FNL Mentoring, SWAG Young Adult Mentor, or the Calaveras Mentoring Foundation, the public may call (209) 736-6078 or visit www.calaverasmentoring.org.

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