"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

A successful mentoring relationship is the single biggest catalyst

in changing the course of an individuals life.

Benefits to you: When you mentor someone, you get far more than the satisfaction of giving back. Mentoring adds new meaning to your life. Mentors feel a sense of accomplishment by positively impacting the life of another person or family. Helping youth or adults at risk achieve their potential and discover their strengths is a significant benefit you'll discover when mentoring.

Fortunately, organizations that offer mentoring opportunities have mentoring training programs. 

Benefits to a child mentee: Abstracted from https://www.mentoring.org/mentoring-impact/

• Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day at school.
• Young adults who face an opportunity gap but have a mentor are 55% more likely to be enrolled in college than those who do not have a mentor. 
• They are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking
• 81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities than those who do not.
  

In addition:

• 78%  - are more likely  to volunteer regularly
• 90%  - are more likely to become interested in becoming a mentor
• 130% - are more likely  to hold leadership positions

Benefits to adult mentees:

Many of the benefits children receive will likely benefit adult mentees also. In addition you will discover opportunities to help families and individuals in distress and/or help individuals in hopeless situations including the homeless become productive and contributing members of Indian River County.

Mentors can also prepare their mentees for professional careers and assist with their workplace skills by:

• Helping set career goals and taking the steps to realize them.
• Using personal contacts to help young people network with industry professionals, find internships, and locate possible jobs.
• Introduce young people to resources and organizations they may not be familiar with.
• Teaching skills for seeking a job, interviewing for a job, and keeping a job.

Mentoring: It takes time and effort to develop a successful mentoring relationship. Once the mentoring relationship is in place, it permanently changes lives. As the relationship matures the mentee recognizes the value the relationship. A bond of trust develops. Exchanges become more meaningful. A friendship develops. The mentee becomes far more likely to pursue higher education, far less likely to use illegal drugs or become alcoholic, chooses healthy pursuits and usually becomes a successful member of the workforce.

Many of the mentoring and volunteering organizations Grand Harbor Outreach Project financially supports benefit children at risk. Volunteering at one of these organizations, is the way my wife and I discovered 2 children we are now mentoring. That is not a necessary step to becoming a successful mentor. The professionals working at these organizations are committed to insuring you find the ideal adult or child mentee that will benefit maximally from having you as a mentor.

"Why become a mentor?

Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. Yet one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset."

Quote from https://www.mentoring.org/mentoring-impact/