Becoming A Mentor: Mentors Make A Difference!

The cornerstone of Footsteps to the Future is to provide positive and compassionate women from our community to be mentors to young women in and “aged out” of foster care.

Webster’s defines a mentor as "a trusted counselor or guide."

Footsteps to the Future takes a holistic approach to mentoring. We want the experience to be positive for the mentees, but also for the people giving their time to be mentors. Mentoring goes both ways. Not only do they feel good about themselves, but the experience teaches the mentors more about themselves.

The original Mentor is a character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. When Odysseus, King of Ithaca, went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor. Mentor served as the teacher and overseer of Odysseus’ son, Telemachus.

Mentoring is a matter of trust. It is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee.
All young people have the potential to succeed in life and contribute to society. However, they don’t all receive the support they need to thrive. By some estimates, an astounding 17.6 million young people – nearly half the population 10 and 18 years of age – live in situations that put them at risk of not living up to their potential. Without immediate intervention by caring adults, they could make choices that not only undermine their futures, but ultimately the economic and social well-being of our nation.

Mentoring – the presence of caring adults offering support, advice, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples – has proved to be a powerful tool for helping young people reach their highest potential.

Footsteps to the Future provides mentors to a population of young people who may have been abandoned, neglected or abused. Our program has been increasingly advocated as a means of addressing foster care youths’ fundamental need for close and caring relationships. Many past experiences of foster youth have presented barriers to establishing positive, supportive relationships with adults. Our mentoring program believes that a relationship with a mentor can become a “corrective experience” for those youth. Furthermore, mentoring can facilitate more positive relationships with peers and others.

Few bonds in life are more influential than those between a young person and an adult. The characteristics of successful mentors are:

• Respectful
• Stable
• Nonjudgmental
• Good sense of humor
• Patient
• Active listeners
• Provide leadership
By using your influence and resources as a decision-maker, you can bring new hope to young lives through the power of mentoring. And you’ll be surprised how much you will benefit, as well.

Footsteps to the Future is looking for compassionate women who agree to:

• commit to spend 16 hours a month with their mentee
• commit for at least a 2-year period of time
• background check, fingerprinting and confidentiality agreement
• personal interview
• attend our “Mindful Mentoring” training
• attend one gathering a month with their mentee
• complete monthly evaluations regarding their mentee

Most people have very little knowledge about the lives of young people in foster care. There are more than 650,000 children in foster care in the U.S., many of whom live our backyard. In Florida, foster youth are emancipated and “age out” of the system at 18. They are all on their own, often with no family to fall back on, no place to call home. They have limited life skills and are ill-prepared for adulthood. Only 30% leave foster care with a high school diploma or GED. One in four will become homeless. Without our help, many will fall through the cracks and become another unfortunate statistic.

Obviously, mentoring programs cannot entirely address the needs and circumstances of youth in the foster care system. But our program is part of a more comprehensive approach needed to assist young women in becoming better equipped to develop positive attitudes, make responsible choices, continue their education and become productive, self-reliant members of our community. Footsteps to the Future’s mentoring program plays a significant role in cultivating better outcomes for this vulnerable population.

If you are looking for some way to add more purpose to your life, please contact us today. Your help is needed now. Please join our committed group of volunteers working to change lives - one child at a time. If you or someone you know has the skills to assist these girls and is interested in becoming a mentor, please contact us by email or call 239.275.5834.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead