Mentors Matter

Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2013 by Heidi Brunsting

Do mentors matter? YES!!!!

One of our main ministry focuses in DAYFC is matching every kid who wants one, with a loving, christian, adult mentor. It is one of the most time consuming but effective strategies we have.

Consider the following widely accepted research:

School

• Youth are five times more likely to graduate if they have a meaningful relationship with an adult mentor.
• 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school
• 37% less likely to skip a class

Sex, Drugs & Alcohol

• Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking
• 98% of teens with a mentor avoid teen pregnancy

Jobs

• Mentors help young people set career goals and start taking steps to realize them.
• Mentors introduce young people to professional resources and organizations they may not know.
• Mentors can help their mentees learn how to seek and keep jobs.

Crime

• Without effective intervention as many as 70% of children with incarcerated parents/caregivers will become involved with the criminal justice system
• Kids who have been in trouble with the law are 67% less likely to become repeat offenders if they have a mentoring relationship
• 98% of kids with a mentor avoid gang activity

Mental Health

• Consistent across risk groups, is a reduction in depressive symptoms — noteworthy given that almost 25% of youth report worrisome levels of these symptoms.
• Findings also suggested gains in social acceptance, academic attitudes and grades.

Jesus

In YFC we find that kids learn to trust Jesus because they learn to trust his/her mentor! Kids who come to Jesus through a relationship with a mentor have a built in discipleship relationship going forward. Often, the mentor/mentee relationship lasts for many years. And it always changes two lives!

If you would like to become a mentor to a juvenile offender, a teen mom or teen dad, a foster kid or a Campus Life high school student, please click on this link to find out more. It will change your life!