Education For Life

Mentoring

Tag line – Change and be changed ... be a mentor

“Call to action” – your skills talents and life experiences can lead to lasting change

Volunteer opportunities:

At a time when people are feeling overwhelmed by the problems and challenges youth fave today, there is a renewed excitement around mentoring. Entering into a committed relationship with youth is something everyone can do.

A Mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides young people with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, and people who want to help youth bring out strengths that are already there. Impact Researchers found that after 18 months of spending time with mentors mentees where:

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
• 27% Less likely to begin using alcohol
• 52% Less likely to skip school
• 37% Less likely to skip a class
• More confident of their performance in schoolwork
• One-third less likely to hit someone
• Getting along better with their family members

Tierney, J.P., Grossman, J.B., and Resch, N.L. (1995) making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Philadelphia: Public Private Ventures

Testimonies

Rosa and Ranee

We have been a mentor/mentee team for 7 years. I have known Rosa since she was in kindergarten. Her wonderful smile and sweet spirit have been blessing me and my family for years. She has become a member of my family and I have become a member of hers. We have had many fun times from working on homework to going to Sunsplash; from painting pottery to building a stuffed bear. One of our favorite activities is to swim and cook cookies to share with each of our families. Being a mentor has blessed my life beyond my expectations. I highly recommend it. Sharing your life and God's love is an awesome privilege!

Gail and Anais

I have mentored Anais for four years. We have had lots of fun together! I love spending time with Anais doing all sorts of things. I've learned to never expect the expected and to enjoy the little things, the silly times and the tough, but innocent questions. When I asked Anais what things we do that she likes best, she answered: our trips, baking cookies and going to the library.

I see many similarities in us. Although we come from very different worlds, we are a lot alike. We both love sports and being outside. I think we both learn better from our experiences than from text books! That's why I try to give her as many experiences and opportunities as possible so that when she grows up she can make better decisions.

Anais and I have taken a number of trips together, sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with friends. We have explored Arizona and have been amazed by God's creation, visiting the Grand Canyon, Sedona's red rocks, and the Colossal Cave in Tucson. We panned for gold in Sabino Canyon and jumped from boulder to boulder along the Oak Creek in Sedona We camped in Northern Arizona with friends and survived a "slime" fight in the lake! (Thank goodness the campground had hot showers!)

We've also enjoyed Phoenix's great outdoors. We've hiked in the Phoenix Mountain Preserves, climbed Camelback Mountain, and toured the Mystery Castle in South Mountain Park. We've explored the Desert Botanical Gardens and it's Butterfly Pavilion, summertime Flashlight Tours and it's Halloween Pumpkin Patch.

We have also spent hours playing on the beach in San Diego. We laugh every time we reminisce about returning to our towels after playing in the waves, only to find an naughty seagull pulling my sisters panties out of her dufflebag and afterwards a seagull swooping down to snatch a piece of string cheese out of Anais' hand.

We have explored aquariums, submarines, navy ships and old-fashioned sailing ships. We've screamed as loud as we could on the roller coasters at Disneyland and California Adventure. We held on to the cable cars in San Francisco for dear-life; climbed the Spanish Steps to Coit Tower; taken the Bart, the bus, and the ferry; rowed a boat in Golden Gate Park and biked 16 miles from Fisherman's Wharf to Tiburon; and even went on a ghost tour of China Town and learned about some of it's fascinating history.

Anais joined the North Phoenix Baptist Church soccer team. She attended the British Soccer Camp there last summer. She has taken children's cooking classes and also tennis lessons at Encanto Park. One Saturday last spring Anais and I volunteered at the Mayor's Tree Planting event. Anais dug holes alongside Mayor Gordon and Councilman Nowakowski. The following day we saw Councilman Nowakowski at the Willo Home Tour. He recognized Anais and introduced his littlest son to her!

Anais and I bake cookies on special occasions like Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter. Every Sunday we go to church and afterwards do something fun. Once a week we go to our favorite pizza parlor and then to the library to do homework and check out new books.

Anais has become a part of my small family. She loves my sister and is always happy to see her every time she returns from another overseas adventure. Anais was always so kind to my father and at church, and often carried his Bible for him when he was in the wheelchair.

Since my dad passed away last summer, my mom now has time to tutor Anais in math. Every Thursday after soccer practice we go to my mom's for dinner and tutoring. Since Anais needs help with math and my mom was a school-teacher and who loves to cook and feed people, it's a perfect fit!

Last week we are began a new adventure together. Since Anais loves to run, we started training for a 5K race which we will run towards the end of April. I look forward to being Anais' mentor for many, many more years.

I look forward to many more experiences, trips, funny times and even the tough questions.

Illa and Chela

Chela and I have known each other most of her life. She was only three years old when I met her through pre-school at Neighborhood Ministries. I have been "with her" through Head Start, kindergarten, and all the way to her fourth grade year. Although we began our relationship in a tutoring way (and do continue to help with school work), Chela is more than a "mentoree" to me. She is like a special grand-child. We have shared many fun times together. She has spent weekends at our home and weeks at our Pinetop cabin. We ride bikes, walk, talk, watch movies, eat, create art projects, play games...We usually do this with three of her cousins. I call them the "Fearsome Foursome". My husband, Steve, and I consider them part of our family. They have all enriched our lives with their love for us. They bring a youthful spirit into our aging lives. We attempt to share wisdom, love, concern and joy with them. We hope to stay in their lives as long as we're alive. I can't quite imagine life without them. It's been one of God's richest blessing to share in the lives of these children.

Lovingly,
Illa

Timothy and Roger

Roger and I have been hanging out for almost two years now. He is a good kid. We enjoy doing creative activities that he has never experienced before like hiking, the First Friday Art Walk, disc golf, and doing science experiments. I really like just talking and answering Rogers questions about anything and everything. It has taken a while to really connect but I know Roger really values our relationship and so do I.

Terence and Pete

Pete and I are coming up on our two year anniversary of being matched. We have had a lot of fun going to baseball games, visiting Colorado for camp, or just seeking out neat but simple things to do around the city. I have enjoyed helping Pete work through the hard things in life, whether between us or elsewhere in his life. I think it has shown us both how God is right with us in the hard times, and that he wants us to be with each other as well.

Time and Days of opportunities

• Mentoring is the most flexible way to volunteer because it depends on your schedule. We are a community based program so you and the student you mentor determine the day and time.

Steps to become a Mentor

• Fill out the Neighborhood Ministries application
• Complete an interview
• Turn in with application: a digital photo of your self, copy of your driver license, copy of your car insurance
• Attend one of the New Volunteer Training
• Meet your mentee with the caseworker and fill out commitment letter

Mentoring Commitment

• Meet with mentee two hours a week or eight hours a month for a minimum of a year but having the intention of a lifetime relationship
• Attend two ongoing training sessions a year
• Fill out a one page monthly report
• Participate in weekly Neighborhood Ministries programming when possible

Contact Person Email

• Jeremy Wood – Jeremy @ nmaz.net

Training Dates

New Volunteer Training

• April 14th @ 6:30 -8 in room 205
• May 19
• June 16
• September 15
• October 20
• November 17

On Going Training (I am meeting with PPP to discuss what the classes we will offer so I will get those to you asap)

• May 5 @ 6:30-8 in room 205
• June 9
• September TBA
• October 6
• November 10

Head Start

Volunteer opportunities

• Cleaning:  Classrooms, playground, Bathrooms
• In Classroom: Interacting with kids, read stories, monitoring on the playground

Time and Days of opportunities

• Monday – Friday from 8:30-12:30

Steps to get involved

• Contact Lenny Reel 602-257-4156 or Kravitziv @ aol.com

To become a regular volunteer

• Fingerprints clearance card is needed
• 2 letters of reference
• TB test

Wayne and Kit Danley Scholarship

Volunteer opportunities

• As our youth make the transition from high school to college we would love to hook them up with a career coach. Career coaches are good listeners who want to help youth bring out strengths that are already there, and are willing to share their valuable experience/education in specific fields.

Time and Days of opportunities

• Five hours a semester when works for both student and coach.

Steps to get involved

• Fill out the Neighborhood Ministries application
• Complete a phone interview
• Turn in with application: A digital photo of your self
• Attend one of the New Volunteer Training

Contact Person Email

• Jeremy Wood – Jeremy @ nmaz.net

Program Office Assistants

Volunteer opportunities

We are looking for a few key volunteer program positions.

• Monthly Mentor report calling – Calling mentors at the end of each month and filling out a monthly report.
• Monthly Activity Planer – At the begging of every month we would like to have a list of activities that are open to our mentors and their mentees. This would entail finding out what free activities are offered by the city and calling local events to see if they would donate tickets. • Educational Advocate – As our kids move around it is often hard to get enrolled in school. Educational Advocate would be willing to set up appointments to take kids to school and help them get enrolled. Educational background is preferred for this position as navigating the educational system can be very difficult at times.
• Event Planer – We would like to have one activity a semester that mentors, mentees and their families’ can all gather at and in joy each other. This position would be in chard of planning these events.

Time and Days of opportunities

• Monday through Friday 8-6 – Days and Times are very flexible and some could be done from you home

Steps to get involved

• Fill out the Neighborhood Ministries application
• Complete a phone interview
• Turn in with application: A digital photo of your self
• Attend one of the New Volunteer Training

Contact Person Email

• Jeremy Wood – Jeremy @ nmaz.net