City of Longview in need of mentors

Partners in Prevention thanks mentors and seeks new volunteers during National Mentoring Month

LONGVIEW - City of Longview Partners in Prevention joins with other cities across the nation to draw attention to the positive impact mentoring has on the lives in youth in Longview and East Texas. Partners in Prevention currently provides almost 200 children and youth with trained, caring, supportive adult mentors. Of those 200 children, eighty-nine have at least one parent in prison. Dr. W. Wilson Goode, founder of Amachi Mentoring Program, estimates that 70% of youth who have a parent incarcerated will end up in prison themselves without a positive intervention, like mentoring.

Partners in Prevention Mentoring Program began as a pilot program in the mid- 1990s and has provided mentors to hundreds of children over the years. Today, the Partners in Prevention Mentoring Program serves children on 35 school campuses in Gregg and five other surrounding counties.

“As we honor our current mentors during National Mentoring Month, we are also looking for adults to serve as new mentors. Many of the school campuses have a waiting list of children needing mentors. We need both men and women willing to commit one hour per week to mentor a child,” stated Holly Fuller, Partners in Prevention Manager.

Partners in Prevention will hold a mentor training session on Friday, January 15, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. For additional information, or to register for the training, please call 903-237-1019.

Here is the upcoming mentor training schedule:

Interested mentors need to attend one training session.

What: Partners in Prevention Mentor Training

Where: 140 E. Tyler St., Suite 400

Available Dates:
January 15 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
February 3 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
February 26 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.