Mentor an at-risk adult or youth one-on-one, as a group, or as part of a team. Encourage and guide families and youth who are facing the challenges of poverty and at-risk conditions, including families in welfare-to-work and child protective services programs, youth and families impacted by gang violence and abuse, emancipating and emancipated foster youth, pregnant and parenting youth, other at-risk youth, and ex-offenders.

A mentor:

Participants are referred to Garden Pathways by agencies such as the Kern County Department of Human Services, or by the community at-large. Prior to being matched with a volunteer mentor for one-on-one mentoring, participants will have engaged in group mentoring with Garden Pathways staff and will have expressed a desire for a mentor.

Mentors have the flexibility to arrange meeting times and locations with participants according to mutually agreeable schedules. We recommend a minimum commitment of one (1) year.

You can change the future of our community by investing in a life.

"The King will say... 'I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me." Matthew 25:34-40 (The Message)

REQUIREMENTS