For years, Circuit Judge Katherine Savage envisioned a mentorship program for the many children going in and out of the juvenile courts of Montgomery County. And then she did something about it.
“I thought day in and day out, wishing I had some mentors,” Savage said Thursday. “But mentorship programs are hard to do — and it takes some significant commitment.”
So last year Savage teamed up with Silver Spring YMCA, which agreed to organize and run the program as one of its projects. It’s now called the YMCA Mentoring Program, and it is looking for volunteers.
As Savage had hoped, the program provides mentors for 12- to 17-year-olds who fall either on the side of delinquency or abuse and neglect problems.
Montgomery County Public Schools stepped up, financing the program, and hiring Coordinator Otto Perez last fall.
“We have made 12 matches, and are working to try and make another four in the next few weeks,” Perez said. “We are hoping to double that number in the next fiscal year.”
Besides recruiting mentors, and providing orientation, ongoing training and support for them, Perez communicates with probation officers and case managers to discuss mentorship candidates, and testifies to the mentorship relationship at schools and in court.
Volunteers meet with the youths they are mentoring every week for one year.
Want to mentor?
» Requirements: Age 21 or older; have own transportation; weekly commitment for one year; attend initial orientation
» Contact: Coordinator Otto Perez, 202-438-5051 or 301-585-2120 ext. 2574; E-mail: [email protected].
