Angels Camp, CA…The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is pleased to honor Valley Springs resident Hugh Logan as the March 2017 Mentor of the Month. It has been a little over a year since Hugh and his 14-year-old mentee, Abel, began their friendship. “Hugh is a wonderful mentor,” said Katie Lackler, coordinator for the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program. “He is patient, but with a purpose, and leaves room for Abel to be himself. Hugh is dedicated to community service and brings that interest to his friendship with Abel.”

Throughout their friendship, Abel and Hugh have pursued meaningful activities together, including contributing to their community. They regularly collect and donate food to the Resource Connection food bank, and they worked together to build and plant a garden in which they intend to grow food to share. They enjoy exploring new activities together and finding ways to be helpful to the community.

This year, the duo went kayaking on Pine Mountain Lake in Groveland, a first for Abel. Abel jokingly said, “It went well…the kayak stayed on top of the water!” Abel also joined the football team this year and values being able to talk to Hugh about new things in his life. Abel’s mother, Maria, said, “You know, we waited a while for a mentor, and Hugh was so worth the wait!”

Hugh is an active member of his church in San Andreas and regularly supports the Resource Connection and local animal shelter. He has been a judge in the Science Fair and is a strong proponent of young people studying and participating in the sciences. He works full time as the district manager for the San Andreas Sanitary District, a job he very much enjoys. “I am particularly passionate about supporting young people to pursue the Water Environment career path,” said Hugh.

“Hugh is really smart,” said Abel. “He’s also a really nice guy who is just fun to be with.” Hugh shares the same high regard for Abel. “It feels very natural and I like to be with him,” said Hugh. “We don’t have to try too hard. We don’t do anything extra special. He’s very intelligent, so some of his questions catch me off guard.”

Hugh really believes the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is a “great organization to volunteer for. It is just so easy to do. They provide the infrastructure and have really set up the program so all the volunteers have to do is volunteer.” He enjoys feeling plugged in to the greater community. When asked what he would tell potential volunteers, Hugh said, “they need to know how easy it is to have a huge impact. Very little effort required and the payoff is huge. You just have to sign up and go!”

The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is seeking volunteer mentors for eager boys and girls living in West Point, San Andreas, Angels Camp, Murphys, and Arnold. For more information about the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, call Katie Lackler at (209) 736-6078 or visit the program online at www.calaverasmentoring.org.