My Nonprofit Reviews
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Review for Calaveras Mentoring Foundation, Murphys, CA, USA
The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is a shining star in our community!
I became a mentor to a 10 year old girl in early 2015, and mentored her until she moved out of state this past spring. The support, encouragement, wealth of knowledge, and wide variety of resources and activities provided by this mentoring program is all around superb. For example, my mentee wanted to take dance lessons but did not have the monetary resources. To supplement the money that she and I earned together, the coordinator at the program reached out into the community and found a supporter who paid for a year's worth of dance class and extras like shoes and costumes. The amount of confidence, excitement, and peer involvement this provided to my mentee was beyond measure. To see the smile on her face during and after each class made my heart sing, and often brought tears to my eyes.
When my mentee was removed from her home by social services and moved from place to place, the mentoring program was pivotal in helping me to continue our friendship and become a partner in the foster/family services process.
As a retired teacher, I cannot say enough about the superb level of professionalism, dedication, and knowledge that the mentoring staff brings to supporting every match, and in understanding so completely and compassionately the individual needs of every young person in the program (and every mentor as well).
After my own mentee moved out of state, I was considering volunteering for a different organization closer to my new home. I only considered this briefly, realizing that in the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program I already had a family, a community, and a wonderful support system. In the not too distant future, I hope to be matched with a new young person, and if it means driving a bit farther than most, I will gladly do it in order to continue my involvement with CYMP! In the meantime, I am able to stay connected in other ways, such as attending mentor gatherings and helping with field trips, which I also greatly appreciate.
