Power of One

January is National Mentoring month. It is a time to celebrate and to thank all of those who have so willingly given of their greatest gift: time. Never in the history of our country have our youth needed caring adults more than now.

Almost every day, children are seeing homes and families destroyed by natural disasters, poverty, or by a breakup of the family. They wonder, “Will this happen to me?” They need reassurance that their world is safe and adults will be there to love and support them.

Our children need you. Every child needs at least one adult who cares about them. You can provide a positive role model for them to emulate. They are looking for role models to inspire them to be the best they can be, by being honest and hard working, and our society is failing them.

You could be their hope: Become a mentor!

While there are so many things that we can buy for children—toys, trips to the beach or mountains, iPods™, Xbox game systems—what we hear from children is that the thing they cherish most is our time. Major studies show that youths want to spend more time with adults, especially their parents. They want to ask questions about those tough things that they see and can’t understand. They want someone to help them make sense of a world that often seems senseless to them.

The National Mentoring partnership estimates that over 1.5 million children fall into the crisis category of being at a “high need” for mentoring. Here in North Carolina, thousands of children are dropping out of school, teen pregnancy is on the rise for the first time in over a decade, and drug and alcohol use among teens is increasing.

While mentoring cannot solve all of the problems of society, it can at least begin to send a clear message to our youth: we care. If we want our children in North Carolina to grow up to be engaged in their own communities, provide good support for their children, and to volunteer in schools and community activities, we must show them the value of giving back. We can do that by being there for them during their formative years, the years when their own values are developed.

As you think about the holidays and things you can do to help, think about giving the gift that truly keeps on giving. Volunteer to mentor a young person. You will never know how much one hour a week can do to make a difference in the life of a child. The power of one person helping one child for one hour can make a difference between those who make it and those who don’t. We can change the world, by changing one life at a time.

Call 919-832-2700 or email mentoringinnc@aol.com.