January 8, 2008
Governor, First Gentleman encourage more volunteers to mentor
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern today announced there are a record number of mentors and children being mentored in Michigan according to the recent Mentor Michigan census. Governor Granholm has proclaimed January Michigan Mentoring Month, a designation that coincides with the national celebration of mentoring month. The governor and first gentleman encouraged more volunteers to become mentors.
"When you mentor a child, you help to build a stronger future for them, our communities, and our great state," Granholm said. "Mentoring is a great way to share with others the lessons that have helped shape our lives. Just an hour a week can make a huge difference for a child who needs your support."
Granholm cited a number of key statistics on mentoring that are based on the census completed by Kahle Research Solutions, Inc. They include:
- There are 20,603 people mentoring children in Michigan - 4,200 more than in 2006 and 11,500 more than in 2004.
- An estimated 35,000 children are being mentored.
- Women outnumber men when it comes to being a mentor; currently 61 percent of mentors are female, while 39 percent are male.
- While 54 percent of mentees are children of color, only 35 percent of the mentors are people of color, a disparity that creates a dilemma for mentoring programs trying to match children with mentors from the same ethnic and gender backgrounds.
- Geographic and gender disparities between potential mentors and mentees are among the reasons why nearly 3,500 children are currently waiting to be placed with a mentor in Michigan.
- The capacity of mentoring programs to serve children has increased by 6,000 matches since 2003.
As Michigan's first gentleman, Mulhern spearheads the Mentor Michigan initiative and notes that more than 500,000 children in Michigan could benefit from having a mentor.
"Mentees often lack what most of us take for granted - someone who consistently sees the good in them, helps them to understand their world, and listens," Mulhern said. "Children sometimes just need a champion in their corner, a listening ear, an encouraging word, a consistent friend, and that is something that all of us can give a child."
"Here's my promise to you," Mulhern added. "Become a mentor, and you will change the world. You won't change just one life, you'll change yours as well.
The governor and first gentleman lead by example as they mentor children from the Lansing area and are among the 97 percent of mentors who would recommend mentoring to others.
The Michigan Community Service Commission, chaired by the first gentleman, has program information and resources on the Mentor Michigan Website to help future mentors find mentoring organizations in their community. If you are interested in being a mentor, call 2-1-1 or visit www.mentormichigan.org and click on "Be a Mentor."
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