Introduction to the January 2011 Newsletter

January 2011

We’re pleased to provide our January 2011 newsletter in a new format. We hope you find the new format easier to read and navigate. We’re also in the midst of a website conversion, so the next e-newsletter will be even better.

Andrea L. Torello, Executive Director, Mobius, The Mentoring Movement

2011 promises to be a great year. The Mobius board and staff are very excited about the potential this year holds to grow and improve mentoring in Chittenden County. National Mentoring Month 2011 was a good omen of that promise with fifteen new mentors and lots of activities for mentors and mentees.

Many thanks to all of the generous local businesses and media for their support throughout National Mentoring Month. Mentor matches took part in free fun events; mentors were graced with classical music, training and a celebratory breakfast; mentoring was featured on radio and television; and four area restaurants hosted benefits events. This is indeed a community that embraces mentoring and cares about its young people.

Mobius is proud to launch new mentor training this year. Developed by Tracy Treadwell with the advice of local mentoring program coordinators, the training prepares new mentor recruits for their mentees in a fun and active format. Based on the latest in best practices, the training will be offered every month and is open to all.

At the National Mentoring Summit in Washington, D.C. I had the great pleasure to hear First Lady Michelle Obama speak in support of mentoring. Her inspiring words remind me of the importance of closing the mentoring gap and energize me to continue the work we began seven years ago when Mobius was founded. Though there are over 800 active mentor pairs in Chittenden County, that is only one quarter of the matches we need for every child who needs or wants a mentors to have one. We have much work to do yet.

We are deeply grateful to all our donors and supporters, in particular to Senator Leahy, whose unwavering support has been so critical to the growth of mentoring in Vermont. Looking ahead, our goal is to expand support for mentoring to include more businesses, more individuals, and more national foundations. A mentored youth is more likely to stay in school, and more likely to lead a healthy, happy and productive adult life. That is something we all want for our young people. That is something we all need to invest in, in whatever ways we can, to create a culture of mentoring in our communities.

Please consider how you can invest in our young people’s future and how you can join the mentoring movement. Call 658-1888 or visit mobiusmentors.org.

Warm Regards,

Andrea L. Torello
FINDING MENTORS. CHANGING LIVES.