Mentoring Organizations

Friends for Youth, Redwood City

Purpose: This 26-year-old organization provides mentoring and support services for boys and girls ages 8 to 17 in San Mateo and northern Santa Clara counties who are living in high-risk environments.

Type of mentoring offered: Mentors are paired with boys and girls whom teachers, counselors, or other youth professionals have identified as needing supportive adults in their lives.

Friends for Youth also offers a Mentoring Institute dedicated to educating the mentoring community through trainings, workshops, conferences, and products.

Requirements of a mentor: On average, three hours a week, with a one-year commitment.

How to contact: Call (650) 482-2864, or (650) 559-0200 for The Mentoring Institute, or visit www.friendsforyouth.org

Child Advocates, Milpitas and San Mateo

Purpose: This 19-year-old organization provides advocacy and mentoring for boys and girls ranging in age from infancy to 18 in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The children have been neglected, abandoned, or abused, and most have been removed from their homes for their own safety.

Type of mentoring offered: An adult is appointed by the court to act as an advocate, mentor, and friend for the child. The advocate works with the child’s social worker, counselor, and family or foster family.

Requirements of a mentor: On average, from 10 to 13 hours a month, with a commitment of at least 18 months.

How to contact: Call (408) 416-0400 in the South Bay and (650) 627-8541 in San Mateo County, or visit http://www.cadvocates.org

Future Families, San Jose

Purpose: For more than 20 years, Future Families has provided foster care and adoption services to children in foster care. More than 75 percent of the children served are from San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

Type of mentoring offered: A mentoring program for preteens is under development. The mentor will be part of a team that includes a counselor, social worker, and usually a court-appointed special advocate.

How to contact: Call (408) 298-8789, or visit http://www.futurefamilies.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Purpose: The nation's oldest and largest youth mentoring organization, with local chapters in Santa Clara and San Francisco/the Peninsula. It matches adults with children ages 5 to 18 whose parents or guardians believe they need additional caring adults in their lives.

Requirements: From one hour a week to several hours a month, with a commitment of one year.

How to contact:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Francisco and the Peninsula
(415) 503-4050
info@sf-bbbs.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Clara County
(408) 244-1911
http://www.bbbs-scc.org/

Resources

MENTOR, Alexandria, Virginia

Purpose: MENTOR began in 1990 to promote mentoring nationwide. It provides education, advocacy, and resources to mentoring programs. It also maintains a database of mentoring opportunities.

How to contact:
(703) 224-2200
http://www.mentoring.org

Center for Applied Research Solutions

Purpose: The Center for Applied Research Solutions is a nonprofit organization that provides resources for mentoring organizations, including free technical assistance and training on mentoring program development to new and existing community and school-based programs.

How to contact:
http://www.emt.org/mentoring.html