[Archived] City Celebrates National Mentoring Month

The City of Alexandria joins communities across the country in celebrating National Mentoring Month, January 2008, by highlighting the importance of mentoring in the community.

Looking for a meaningful New Year’s resolution or office-wide project? Looking to reduce crime in the community? Mentor a child. Mentoring is a best practice for helping children and youth. Youth who are mentored are less likely to commit crime, join gangs, get pregnant, do poorly in school or use drugs. Young people who are mentored also tend to feel better about themselves and are much more likely to graduate from high school. It takes $70,000 a year to incarcerate a youth; to mentor, it takes one hour a week.

The Alexandria Mentoring Partnership, which was formed a year ago, has shown a 20 percent increase in its number of mentors. However, there remains a significant need for mentors. Mentoring requires no prior experience or special degrees—just a willingness to help. To learn more, visit www.alexandriava.gov/mentoring or contact Mike Mackey, City of Alexandria Gang Prevention Coordinator at (703-838-4144, x 242; mentoring@alexandriava.gov). Mentor a child. Change two lives.