Community Friends Mentoring

Sponsored by: HowardCenter, Child Youth and Family Services
Division Director: Catherine Simonson
Contact: Kristen Hayden-West

Community Friends Mentoring matches young people ages 6 to 12 with caring adult volunteers in fun, nurturing big brother/big sister type relationships. The program serves area children who will benefit from extra attention and support due to stresses in their lives. Community Friends’ mentors are caring adults who enjoy children and can spend time with a child on a consistent basis for at least a year. Participants meet regularly, usually for 2-4 hours a week, to go on outings, do projects, or just talk. Training, on-going support and group activities are provided. CFM works in all Chittenden County communities. Fishing for Friends, a Community Friends project developed in partnership with the LCI Fishing Derby, offers mentoring relationships with an emphasis on angling.

First Year of operation: 1983
Minimum age for mentor: 18
Minimum time commitment: 4-8 hours/month
Minimum length of commitment: one calendar year