FORKS — Mentoring a young person takes effort.
But the undertaking can change the life of someone who needs a little guidance from a helping hand.
That’s the message Steve Goll, director of programs and outreach for the Forks Connecting Schools and Communities Initiative, brought to the weekly Forks Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting Wednesday.
Goll announced a new mentoring program that will match at least 30 students from Forks Elementary School and Forks Middle School with adult mentors who can dedicate one hour a week for 12 months.
“Sometimes you don’t realize the effect you’re having on the kids,” said Goll.
“Sometimes the thing these kids need is just that consistent adult presence in their lives.”
An extraordinary case
In one recent case, said Goll, a mentor learned that a student he was meeting with weekly was being physically abused by a parent at home.
The mentor ended up reporting the mistreatment to authorities, which resulted in a restraining order being placed on the abusive parent.
“That family is much better off now because of the mentoring experience,” Goll said.
Kathy Lebuis, mentoring coordinator for the Quillayute Valley School District, said adult mentoring usually produces positive results for both the youth and the mentors.
“Mentoring can improve school work, school attendance and lead to higher self-confidence for the students,” Lebuis said.
“Sometimes the mentor won’t be around to see the fruits of their labor, but many mentors do develop skills they may not have had otherwise, like learning to use a computer.”