Bridges Kinship Mentoring provides adult mentors for children throughout Itasca County.  Currently, almost 80 children are paired with caring adults.  And almost 20 children are waiting to be matched with a mentor.  East of Grand Rapids (Bovey/Coleraine to Nashwauk, north on Scenic Highway 7 and the Warba area), there are currently ten children and youth waiting – both boys and girls!

Summer is a perfect time for becoming a mentor.  There are lots of activities adults enjoy that can easily include a child – fishing, hiking, spending time on the lake, playing ball in the backyard.   It doesn’t take any special schooling to be a mentor.  It doesn’t really cost anything.  It does give you a friend, a REASON to get away to fish or an excuse to see that kid’s movie with someone else.  Here are two of the children who are wanting a mentor.

Jill is almost 14 and lives in the Lawrence Lake area.  She enjoys basketball, music (plays the piano), being active, trying new things.  She’s a little shy, but she wants to be more outgoing.  She’d like to learn to play the saxophone.  She’d like to be an artist, author and a singer!

David  is 9 years old and lives in Nashwauk.   He’s an active boy who likes to fish, ride his bike, play sports, go swimming.  He wants to learn about space.  He’s been waiting for a mentor since last winter.

If you feel you can volunteer at least 6 hours of your time each month to spend with a young person like Jill or David, check out the website  www.bridgesmentoring.org or call 326-4700 for more information.   Bridges Kinship Mentoring will guide you through the process of becoming a mentor and provide training and support.  Become a mentor for what you can give.  Stay a mentor for what you receive!