The Rewards of Mentoring

Feb. 20, 2023

Research shows that kids mentored by a caring adult at an early age more successfully maneuver through life’s obstacles.

In a beautiful op-ed that recently appeared in the Orlando Sentinel, Legacy Mentor Afeefa Ayube shares her experience as one who has realized it is “in our power” to make a difference for kids in foster care by “volunteering time and support.”

To read Afeefa’s byline, click here.

Embrace Families Legacy Mentor Program matches teens and young adults in the dependency system, ages 13-23, with positive role models in their community.

Mentors come from all walks of life, and do not serve the same role as a case manager or foster/adoptive parent. They have a very unique role that allows them to be a trusted friend, voice of encouragement and listening ear. Mentors spend quality time with their mentees, introducing them to activities that expand their horizons; often teaching life skills that are typically passed on by one’s mother or father; and listening to their stories with a compassionate heart.

What Afeefa realized through her journey as a mentor is that what kids who have experienced foster care most need is “someone who’s willing to stand by them through thick and thin.”  The gift of your time and attention can make a difference for generations to come.