“You’re not late, I’m really early,” Aria* said. “I just thought that if there was a chance I could meet my mentor and get started a little sooner, I wanted to take it.” She came dressed to play volleyball in case there was time to play right then.
Aria is the newest mentee to be matched with a mentor through the Mentor One80 program. She was so excited to meet her new mentor that she’d been waiting at the YFC office for at least 30 minutes before Raylene Swanger (Mentor One80 Coordinator) arrived.
Lauri and Addison talk every week on the phone, go out for pho often, and regularly take day trips together. They were matched as mentor and mentee when Addison was entered into the Diversion program (which involves handling minor cases outside of Juvenile Court in lieu of prosecution) about three years ago.
Jim has been helping his mentee, Colter, fix up his truck so he has reliable transportation. They’ve also been working together on financial planning and money management habits. This relationship has lasted through the ups and downs and uncertainties of the last few years.
Youth are hungry for mentors. The Mentor One80 program matches caring, Christian adult mentors with young people involved in the juvenile justice system. Often those young people are like Addison, involved in the Diversion program. They’re motivated to not let their mistakes define them and have opted in to One80. They are just waiting for an adult to volunteer.
Raylene takes special care to match young people with compatible adults. That’s why we often see these relationships last as long as Lauri and Addison and Jim and Colter. There is joy, meaning, and fulfillment to be found on both sides.
There will be challenges. Sometimes a mentee goes radio silent, misses a time to hang out, or even ends up back inside a detention center. That’s the reality of working with young people, especially young people involved in the juvenile justice system.
But there is a team to support mentors and mentees every step of the way. From intake and onboarding, to meaningful trainings and troubleshooting, the Mentor One80 and Juvenile Justice Ministry teams are there to make sure everyone has what they need for success.
If you love learning, are available to attend trainings, flexible, and open to working with diverse populations, mentorship could be a great fit for you! You do not need to have all the answers or know exactly what it takes to be a good mentor, just a willingness to grow and invest in the life of a single young person who is asking for support.
If that sounds like you, click below to fill out a volunteer interest form or visit our Mentor One80 page to learn more.
