Mentoring Children of Promise
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Children with incarcerated parents are innocent, but they face tough challenges. Without intervention, they have a 70 percent chance of ending up behind bars. Volunteers of America is working to change this tragedy.
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Mentoring Children of Promise matches caring adult mentors who volunteer to help youth with a parent in prison. The New Orleans area has one of the highest incarceration rates in the U.S., so this program is especially important. We currently serve 350 youngsters.
Mentors volunteer to give these young people extra acceptance, attention, encouragement, guidance and hope. Who are the mentors? People like you who care enough to break the cycle of law-breaking and show innocent children a better way. All it takes is a couple of hours a week.
Children and mentors meet weekly for at least an hour. Many mentors meet their mentees atone of the sites made available by churches who participate in the program, Catholic Charities and Xavier University.
Once the relationship between child and mentor has matured, mentors take the children on outings to enjoy activities together. The churches participating are members of the Communities United and Empowered (CUE) network.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families helps to finance the program.