Big Buddy Program: January is National Mentoring Month

The following information was provided by the Big Buddy Program

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - January is National Mentoring Month, and this year Big Buddy Program is celebrating the annual campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring opportunities to connect more of our community’s young people with caring adults by honoring Mentors in our community throughout the month culminating in a drive-by “Thank Your Mentor Day” celebration on Friday, January 29 from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. at the Big Buddy office, 1415 Main Street in Baton Rouge.

According to Gaylynne Mack, Proud Executive Director of Big Buddy Program “Mentoring is the single most effective way to have an impact on the life of a child. The mentoring services provided by Big Buddy and its volunteer Mentors help educate youth about making good decisions and successfully navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood.”

Research shows Mentors play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to make responsible choices, attend and engage in school, and reduce or avoid risky behavior like drug use. In turn, these young people are:

• 55% more likely to be enrolled in college
• 81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities.
• 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
• More than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team.

Yet, the same research shows that one in three young people in our country will grow up without a Mentor. Today, at the Big Buddy Program there are over 300 young people who would benefit from having a Mentor

National Mentoring Month is the time of year where engagement from community members interested in becoming a Mentor is highest. This year, with the support of the mentoring community, we are encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement – and become involved in real life. Mentoring relationships are at their best when connections are made between a caring adult and a young person who knows someone is there to help guide them through those real-life decisions.

National Mentoring Month is led by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with support from the Highland Street Foundation. Each year since its launch in 2002, National Mentoring Month has enjoyed the strong support of the President and the United States Congress.

To learn more about the role mentoring plays in our community and to find volunteer opportunities visit Big Buddy Program, call 225-388-9737 or email us at mentoring@bigbuddyprogram.org

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