Nearly one year after the launch of LINC NorthWest’s HOPE Mentoring program in granite falls , Mentoring Coordinator Crystal Bogue says she is more excited than ever to be helping make a difference in the lives of kids in the granite falls community.
HOPE Mentoring pairs kids with a mentor from the community for an hour a week. Children get a chance to connect with a positive influence to work on homework, play a game or simply talk.
But there is one challenge that Bogue and her team continues to face.
“During this past year I have seen amazing growth in maturity and self-confidence in both our mentors and of course the kids participating in this free program,” Bogue says. “It’s clear that our program is working and making a notable difference in the lives of the kids involved. The only problem is, we need more kids!”
Bogue says that while they’ve seen a steady stream of kids joining the program over the past year, it has been a slow climb to the numbers they had hoped to welcome. In fact, Bogue currently has more mentors then mentees, but she is hoping to see that change in coming months.
“While we always need new mentors, what we really need right now is more kids,” Bogue says. “This is such a great opportunity for the youth in our community and we hope to connect with more local families over the next few months to share this program with as many kids as possible.”
One hour a week is all it takes
Hope Mentoring operates out of the Granite Falls Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County, providing a safe, fun environment for the weekly one-hour sessions. How mentors and kids spend their weekly meet ups is entirely up to the mentee, some opting to connect and de-stress over an activity like basketball, while others use the hour to get help with their homework or simply chat and find connection.
“Connecting kids with mentors can help give them another outlet for support,” Bogue says. “Having someone in your corner, face to face, can make the difference between success and failure in aspects of a child’s life.”
Hope Mentoring pairs youth with mentors based on common interests, goals, challenges and a variety of other important relationship markers, ensuring that kids can connect with their new mentors on many levels. Mentors receive a background check and are trained in mentoring best practices and boundaries before they are matched with a student.
Parents interested in signing their child up for mentorship can connect with Crystal by email at crystal@lincnw.org or by calling the Granite Falls Boys & Girls Club at (360) 386-1583.
