YMCA to offer national mentoring program for kids and teens in WNC

Nearly one in five young people grow up in poverty and face barriers that can make it harder to pursue education and future career success. Research consistently shows that having a supportive, caring adult can significantly improve their chances of thriving.

To help more kids and teens achieve, the YMCA of Western North Carolina announces the Reach & Rise Mentoring Program. The national YMCA program, supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), connects adult co-mentors with groups of youth ages 6 to 17 for periods of 8-16 weeks.

“Our association is excited to begin offering the Reach & Rise Mentoring Program, which will benefit many of our youth, inspiring them to reach their full potential,” said Melissa Wiedeman, vice president of youth development at the YMCA of WNC. “Through this program, more youth in western North Carolina will develop relationships with caring mentors, families and schools leading to higher achievement and a brighter future.”

As part of the Y’s commitment to nurturing the potential of youth, the Reach & Rise Mentoring Program will engage at-risk youth who can benefit from more community support and who may experience disproportionate rates of poverty, crime, and truancy, among other social issues. 

Through this program, the Y will recruit and train adult volunteer mentors to provide group mentoring services and create safe, healthy, and meaningful relationships with youth. Mentors will support mentees to develop tools to cope with issues such as low self-esteem, family and peer conflict, academic underachievement, and decision-making skills.  

For more information and to sign up to be a mentor or to refer a youth, visit their website.