Corporate Partners Offer Incentives to End Wait for at Least 1,300 Hoosier Kids Seeking Mentors 
One adult. One child. One hour. Once a week. For one school year. Research shows that formula can change the course of a child’s life. Now mentoring organizations across Indiana hope all those ones will add up to more than 1,300.
Nearly 20 mentoring organizations are uniting on January 11, 2011, (1/11/11) to recruit more adults to plug into that formula of one adult working with one child for one hour once per week for one school year.
While each organization has its own need for new mentors, a recent survey of the 195 organizations in the Indiana Mentoring Partnership found more than 1,300 children in the state are waiting to be paired with a mentor.
“The need for mentors is great, but if we can meet that need, Indiana will benefit greatly from the positive transformations that will take place in the lives of mentored children,” said Bill Stanczykiewicz, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), which launched the Indiana Mentoring Partnership last January.
“National research shows children in high-quality mentoring relationships attend school more regularly, have better attitudes and behaviors at school, are more likely to pursue post-secondary education, and are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Those are behavioral changes we all should encourage.”
In the past year, the Indiana Mentoring Partnership has recruited nearly 800 new mentors, but partners in the statewide initiative hope their individual events will drive recruitment numbers even higher.
Among the events being held as part of the January 11 initiative are:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana will have a representative sitting on the roof of Emmis Communications in Indianapolis to draw attention to the need for mentors.
- Hours for Hours in Michigan City will be holding events in conjunction with McDonald’s restaurants of LaPorte County that will raise funds for mentoring, seek to recruit new mentors, and give kids an opportunity to display their talents and artwork.
- Starfish Initiative Indianapolis will be hosting a mentor orientation night during which prospective mentors can ask existing mentors questions about their experiences.
- Parent 2 Parent Network is a new program that works with young teen parents and matches them with mentors who provide support, guidance, and help on a one-on-one basis to encourage mentees to continue their education and promote positive parenting. The event will be held at Kokomo High School.
- Richmond Community Schools will host “Muffins with Mentors” from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Test Middle School cafeteria, with school and city officials in attendance.
The Indiana Mentoring Partnership’s Web site allows individuals interested in becoming mentors to entering their zip codes in a search box and find a listing of mentoring opportunities in their area.
Individuals who want to support mentoring but cannot commit to becoming a mentor can buy a “Mentor a Child” license plate for their cars, vans and motorcycles. The plates are available at every Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicle’s branch. There is a $40 fee for the special plate, $15 for BMV processing, and the remaining $25 from each plate sold will be divided evenly between the operations of the Indiana Mentoring Partnership and member organizations.
Three corporate partners are offering incentives to encourage mentoring organizations to hold recruitment events and to provide an incentive for prospective mentors to sign up.
The Arby’s Restaurant Group has donated 1,000 free meals, to be provided to the first 500 new mentors who are successfully paired with a mentee. The meals will allow new mentors and mentees to have a “get-to-know” lunch or dinner.
Do it Best Corp., internationally headquartered in Fort Wayne, is sponsoring a drawing for 5, $100 gift cards for those who sign up to be mentors and one, $500 gift card for the organizations that take part.
The Indiana Pacers also are offering an incentive to potential mentors. All new mentors who enlist on 1/11/11 will be entered in a drawing for one of five pairs of tickets for the Pacers game to be played January 28 vs. the New Jersey Nets at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Indiana Mentoring Partnership is an initiative of the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI). IYI promotes the healthy development of Indiana children and youth by serving the people, institutions and communities that impact their well-being. For more information about the Indiana Youth Institute, visit www.iyi.org.