January is National Mentoring Month, a time to recognize mentors in our community and think about becoming a mentor ourselves.
So who is a mentor, anyway?
Think back on the adults who made an impact on your life. The adults who were there for you when no one else was, who believed in you when no one else did. They may not have been wealthy or powerful or superhuman, but they were people who inspired you and who gave you the inspiration and confidence to improve yourself.
And there are opportunities for mentoring in our own community.
Mentors are needed for YMCA Kinship, an organization that pairs caring adult role models with youth who can grow from their guidance and the example they set. All it takes is one hour a week in which you can talk, play games, go to a movie, take a walk, help a young person with homework or just listen.
The benefits to the young person are obvious. The benefits to the adult are a feeling of having affected a young person's life in a positive way.
If you think you have what it takes to be a mentor, contact:
Melony Renze
Mentoring Coordinator
Bedell Family YMCA
YMCA of the Okobojis
1900 41st Street
Spirit Lake, IA 51360
712-330-9738
e-mail: melony.renze@okobojiymca.com.