Why Mentoring
Kindred Spirits Youth Mentoring was founded because of the urgent need to care for our children. We connect youth with nurturing adults in a mentoring relationship. Our focus is supporting our student’s academic achievement and social emotional learning on school campuses in the Sacramento region. Mentoring services are provided by volunteers supported by KSYM staff. We coordinate directly with school staff and teachers to tailor the attention needed for each student in one-on-one weekly meet-ups over a school year. Our mentoring emphasis is to help address academic performance and behavioral issues that may be affecting school and life success.
When I was a kid I was lucky. Today I’m grateful I was given some not-so secret ingredients that were helpful for me in my formative years.
Perhaps you’re like me. Growing up in a small town during the 1960’s and ‘70’s, I was lucky enough to have at least two people looking after me. My parents, of course, were key, and my brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends, neighborhood moms, teachers and coaches all contributed some of the basic ingredients I needed to make my way. The things I’m referring to are the vitally important ingredients some of us get when we’re kids, like a sense of security, opportunity, love, and commitment.
When you’re a lucky kid you don’t have to think or worry about these basic life things much. For a lucky kid these ingredients just seem to happen. Like having a house to come home to everyday, food on the table, clothes, and a bed to sleep in. I didn’t have to worry much about whether I was safe in my neighborhood or whether my walk to school could be dangerous. And because of that, and the people around me, I could spend most of my time on who I wanted to be and the opportunities I wanted to pursue. Maybe I could be the first person from my town to play in the NFL? Or maybe I could be an artist or a country western musician? Maybe I’d be the smartest kid in my class and do something to change the world? Maybe I could dream.
Security and opportunity are some basic things kids need to become, if not talented, at least competent, and able to take care of themselves later in life. But more is needed to build the confidence and ambition necessary to follow a path to success and happiness. Every young person needs someone in their corner that, with their words and deeds, tells them they are loved, unconditionally, whether they win or lose, fall, or soar. Unconditional love is how we get the courage to try or come back for more when we fail. When we try something new and the only consequence for failure is to try again, we learn it’s okay to explore. When we feel free to explore there’s a chance that effort will lead to success. And little successes put together can lead to confidence and ambition.
For young people it all starts with the unconditional love of caring adults and friends. My bet is that if you consider yourself successful in some way you can think of someone who encouraged or challenged you to keep going when you wanted to give up; a person who believed when you were unsure.
When a child knows there is someone there for them, no matter what, even if they make a mistake or are behaving badly, it can make a difference. Sometimes it even changes the trajectory of their lives. And when all of these gifts, security, opportunity and love, are given to a child by a committed, consistent and caring adult over those formative years, it becomes magic.
That’s why you should Become a Mentor Today. In Sacramento County, there are thousands of kids, right now, not getting what they need. Some are suffering from neglect and abuse. Others are getting some of the caring attention they need but there are gaps and inconsistencies in their lives that are harming their potential and happiness. These gaps, when not addressed in a consistent way, can create deficiencies, underperformance in school and adaptive behaviors that can lead to undesired outcomes. If we want to improve our communities, it seems obvious that we must nurture and care for our kids.
The good news is that this generational cycle of vulnerability, poverty and despair can be broken. Across the U.S. today mentors are proving that the trajectory of a child’s life can be improved by the consistent attention and nurturing of a caring adult. A mentor serves as a trusted friend and adviser, supporting a young person as they navigate their path to adulthood. Almost anyone can become a mentor just by being themselves. Kindred Spirits Youth Mentoring, makes it easy to become and serve as a mentor by focusing on the individual needs of the child and facilitating regular meetings on a school campus. It’s one of the most direct and impactful actions you could commit to that is a proven way to help a young person in need.
If you’re interested in helping change the life of a deserving young person and are looking for a concrete and positive way to make a difference and improve our Sacramento communities, join us and Become a Mentor Today.