VERO BEACH — Youth Guidance needs more than 400 mentors to be matched one-on-one with a child the agency serves. You can learn what being a Youth Guidance mentor is all about at the next Mentor Orientation Dinner to be held in the Second Floor Conference Room of the United Way Center, 1836 14th Avenue, Vero Beach, on Tuesday, July 21, from 5:30-7 p.m. If you can spend just two hours a week making a difference in the life of a child, be sure to attend this orientation dinner sponsored by the Youth Guidance Mentoring & Activities Program of Indian River County. There is no cost for the dinner, but reservations are required. To make a reservation for the dinner, call Allison at (772) 226-3092.This orientation session, an initiative of the Mentor Center of Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County (CSCPBC), is an ideal opportunity for prospective and current Youth Guidance mentors to get support and information for making mentoring relationships even more productive and rewarding.The sessions are especially appropriate for persons who want to explore the possibility of becoming a mentor. Topics include the mission and goals of the program, the responsibilities and rewards of mentors, program demographics and requirements, confidentiality, and the qualities of successful mentors. The program explains practical techniques and discusses possible additional training opportunities. The primary purpose of Youth Guidance is to “match” each of its 700 at-risk K-12 children with a volunteer mentor seventeen years and older to spend just a few hours a week with their assigned child. The agency is actively seeking volunteers to serve as mentors, tutors, or occasional volunteers or to provide regular help in the office.INFORMATION: Persons interested in learning more about the Mentor Orientation dinners, volunteering, or making a donation to the Summer Camp Fund may visit www.ircyouth.com or call Barbara Schlitt Ford, executive director, (772) 770-5040.
