Our Community Should Help!

How can we make a difference in a child’s life?

I am a junior at Horry County Early College High School, and I believe mentoring should be more stabilized for children in our community.  Children need a person to look up to, and that person could be you.  Mentoring offers many different aspects in a child’s life to be successful and to guide them through their life.  You can make a difference just by being positive outlook.  While mentoring, you can open many opportunities for children and you become more than just a mentor – you become a friend and a hero.  Being a men-tee can change your perspective on your surroundings; you become aware of how blessed you are to have what you have.  You also learn to be more patient, be more creative, and you start to show genuine respect for others. 

Interview with Antquan Smith

 1.)     How do you determine who can attend Sea Haven?

Sea Haven Street Outreach program have Federal procedures that we follow which only allow youth from the ages of 17 to 21 to access our facility resources, but if we have any referrals were the youth is to young we follow our Safe Place procedures.

 2.)     Do you think mentoring at Sea Haven will improve their behavior and social skills?

I believe that it will improve their behavior and social skills because they are interacting with youth from different backgrounds.

 3.)     How did Sea Haven get discovered?

•	Sea Haven was incorporated in 1980 and is registered with the South Carolina Secretary of State as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit agency.
•	Sea Haven Inc is a member of the Youth and Family Services Network. YFSN provides training, consultation, funding, and advocacy support for members. The Sea Haven Executive Director is currently the South Carolina state representative for the YFSN Board. Information about the network is available at www.yfsn.org

4.)     Do you usually see an increase in behavior in the kids when people mentor?

We do see an increase in behavior because the mentees are usually in the same age range as our clients.

 5.)    Are there many behavior issues with the children?

            There are different behavior issues with each client that comes into our facility. Each client comes from diverse background when it comes to family issues. 

 6.)    How often do you get applications for children to attend Sea Haven?

            The drop in center is non-residential and most of our clients are referred to our program from other agencies or word of mouth.

 7.)    Do you think there is enough awareness about Sea Haven?

            Sea Haven does a great job with awareness about the organization and is always seeking different ways to raise awareness about Sea haven and also the youth that we serve.

 8.)    Are there usually many volunteers that help at Sea Haven?

            We have a lot of support with volunteers, but the one issue we run into is the volunteers outside schedule which sometimes conflict with what we are doing

 9.)    Is Sea Haven a private organization?

            Sea haven is not a private organization

Reflection

The new knowledge I have gained through research about mentoring children at young ages is, it can have positive outcomes in their future.  Mentoring helps overcome tough obstacles, and it can improve needed life skills.

I am volunteering at Safe Haven in Longs, South Carolina.  Safe Haven is a non-profit organization, and it provides a place where children can stay during the day while their parents are working.  The children’s parents usually need financial assistance, and have nowhere else to take them during the day.  Paige Gause and I volunteer at Safe Haven every Friday after school for two or three hours.  The person who we contacted through Safe Haven to start volunteering was Mr. Antquan, and he stays with us every Friday.  When we volunteer, we try to be educational and entertaining for the kids.  The kids enjoy reading, so we go to the library and get new books every week.  The kids like to read one on one with us, and then we read to them.

I have been going to Safe Haven the past three weeks, and it has given me a different perspective on people and my surroundings.  I have met new people through this mentoring process.  One thing I need to improve on is being more social with the workers at Safe Haven.  I will improve on being more social by asking more questions and being more interactive.

Proposal

Logan Jenerette

Mrs. Atkinson

English IV

30 January 2013

Mentoring Children

            Each year, over a quarter of a million children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care.  Children are usually separated from their families because of issues like abuse or neglect.  As the child becomes older, they can experience a range of mental health problems that can increase.  Children have to change “families” and schools which can put a damper on their social skills and self-esteem.  Children in foster care are also at a heightened risk for educational and behavioral difficulties.  Children need to have a mentor who can be a guidance and support system.  Far too many youth in foster care lack the adult support that is so necessary to help them through this difficult transition (Dr. Rhodes).

We all want to be cared for or loved by another person.  According to “Mentoring Benefits”, mentoring is a proven and powerful tool which can play a significant role in a child’s life.  Children can benefit from mentoring by gaining a perspective, development of strategies, better attitudes, and having a support system.  Mentoring a child can create a foundation for basic skills that people use every day such as social skills, vocal skills, and civic responsibility.  Mentoring promotes general well- being and positive behavior (Jansen).

In this project, Paige Gause and I will be going to Sea Haven.  Sea Haven is located in North Myrtle Beach.  Our supervisor who will be assisting us while mentoring children will be Mr. Antquan.  Before we can start the mentoring process, we will need to fill out applications.  These applications will ask about background information, what we hope to accomplish, and the personal responsibility that comes with this process.

            When a child has a special bond with an adult, it can increase many activities that the child is experiencing.  During the mentoring process, more children were successful academically.  Mentoring relationships can help increase study habits.  Mentoring can also improve emotional well-being and their social skills (Tierney).

            I want to make sure the child that I will be mentoring is comfortable being around me.  I want to see the child grow over the process and become the best person they can be.  I will achieve this goal and keep up with the growth of the child by asking how this process is helping them.  Another goal I want to accomplish is an open relationship where they feel relaxed and content to ask for advice, guidance, or support.

            The resources we need for this project is very little.  We will drive to Sea Haven each Friday after school and stay there for at least two hours.  I would like to get close with the child, and be more like a friend then a mentor.  I would like to be someone who they look up too. 

                       

Works Cited

Rhodes, Jean. "Research Corner: Fostering Positive Outcomes." Mentor. National Mentoring Partnership, n.d. Web. 29 Jan 2013. <http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring

Jansen, Shawn. "Mentoring Benefits ." Kettle Kinship. Kettle Kinship . Web. 29 Jan 2013. <http://www.kettlekinship.org/kettle_kinship_016.htm>.

Tierney, Grossman. "Candidate Outcome Indicators: Youth Mentoring Program." Urban. The Center For What Works, n.d. Web. 29 Jan 2013. <http://www.urban.org/center/met/projects/upload/Youth_Mentoring.pdf>.