We have a suggestion for anyone who would like to help strengthen the community — consider becoming a volunteer with Mentor Denton.
This unique partnership was launched last fall by the Denton school district, United Way of Denton County, the city of Denton, Communities in Schools of North Texas, the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University, We Denton Do It and community volunteers.
The program matches at-risk youth with adult volunteers who are willing to share about an hour of their time every week to give students adult role models other than their parents or teachers.
Last year, 1,000 people volunteered to mentor and tutor Denton schoolchildren, and this year, organizers are hoping to expand the program’s reach by persuading 10,000 volunteers to spend an hour a week with Denton school district students.
That’s a lot of volunteer hours, but the need is great. The Denton school district reports that an estimated 11,472 of its students are considered low-income and “at-risk” in various ways because their parents or guardians don’t have enough money to adequately support the household.
Spending an hour a week with a student might not seem like a difference-maker, but program organizers tell us that just the opposite is true. Programs like Mentor Denton can give young people the encouragement and support they need to become better students now and go on to find success later in life.
“We have the opportunity to reshape the future of our community by mobilizing every possible resource to make sure that all of our children succeed in school today and prepare for an adult life that positions them to contribute to society in meaningful ways tomorrow,” Gary Henderson, president and CEO of United Way of Denton County, stated in a recent press release.
One of the things we like most about Mentor Denton is that it’s designed to give adult volunteers an effective way to help others in the same way that a mentor might have helped them at a critical point in their childhoods.
Most of us can recall an adult or two who inspired us along the way, someone who unselfishly gave of their time and expertise to help us achieve our goals, and Mentor Denton is a great way to provide that kind of helping hand to others.
“I just think that we’re trying to engage as many people in our community as we can to make a difference for our students,” Denton school district Superintendent Jamie Wilson told us. “The work of the partnership with our city and our local nonprofits is a huge asset to our community.”
Sometimes, all we need to succeed is to know that someone cares, and Mentor Denton is ready to provide that kind of support to many deserving young people — if you are willing to help.
For more information about the program, visit www.mentordenton.org. We urge anyone who is interested to learn more and consider becoming a part of the program.
