Mentors Make Difference at Mercyfirst

Mentors Make a Difference at MercyFirst On any given day there are over 518,000 children in foster care. These children come from a variety of backgrounds, but most of them lack stable family connections and positive adult role models. To them, mentors, like Steve, make a big difference. Steve is a mentor at MercyFirst, and MercyFirst is happy to recognize him and all their mentors during National Mentoring Month.

For over a decade MercyFirst’s Mentoring Program has been providing young people in need with stable adult relationships. Studies indicated that youth who meet regularly with mentors are:
• 52% less likely to skip a day of school
• 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to start drinking
• more trusting of their parents or guardians
• less likely to lie to their parents or guardians*

Steve has been a mentor for about a year and a half. “I had been living in the neighborhood for decades and had never heard of MercyFirst, but when I became aware of it, it seemed natural to want to help,” he explains. So he decided to apply to become a mentor. “I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment just knowing that I have helped make this boy’s life better by being there for him,” he continues. “And, I think, he now knows a little more about how to make progress with his life.” Individuals, corporations and organizations who want to make a difference in the lives of children and adolescents can become mentors. MercyFirst has mentoring opportunities available throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island. For more information on Mentoring opportunities, please call Natasha Wollaston -Stewart, Esq., LMSW, Coordinator of Mentor and Volunteer Services at 516.873.9191, ext. 148. Source: * Source: about MPNY