Mission To develop competent, caring and confident youth through effective and measurable mentoring programs. www.hancockmentors.org
Staff Executive Director Jennifer Swartzlander Case Managers Nikki Hagerty Becky Baratta Katie Stutzman Office Manager Colleen Reed
Board Of Directors Jennifer Bateson David Beltz Charles Clapper Steve Cramer Linda DeArment Amy DePuy Jen Hausserman Larry Jones Phil Kortokrax Craig Kupferberg Brandon Mills Chris Neely Judy Pusateri Stacie Rampe Pat Sadowski Jim Slough Lisa Snyder Alex Treece Kent Weaver Charlie Webb Nicole Winkle
Friendship and Life Lessons
Spring 2014
By Nikki Hagerty, Case Manager Dwight Wilson has been a mentor with Children’s Mentoring Connection for 12 years now! Dwight is a beekeeper, an archer and all around outdoor enthusiast. He has been matched with a few different boys over the years, but he has been with his current mentee for 6 months. Symeon is 12 years old and enjoys being active and learning new skills. In fact, Dwight and Symeon met at CMC’s Camp Beck day where mentors and pals share a day of outdoor activities with children in our program. Symeon and Dwight are a great match! Symeon’s mom was as delighted as Symeon to learn that Dwight is a beekeeper. Symeon’s grandpa kept bees for years and it was something the family really enjoyed. In a way Dwight is helping to keep a family tradition alive for Symeon by teaching him about bees. The two share so many interests, they never run out of things to talk about. Symeon’s mom even said, “If you have met Dwight, you have met my son!” Together they’ve built 16 squirrel feeders since the fall, and Symeon has made $160 by selling them! At some point during this time, he needed 6 more feeders made so he said to Dwight, “Can you go ahead and make them for me?” Well, the answer was no. Dwight explained to him that this was a team project and they needed to make them together! Since then, the squirrel feeders have been made and now they are moving onto bird feeders. Symeon has an order for 3 so far! He’s even having fun cleaning out bird houses and getting them ready for the spring.
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One Adult, One Child By Jennifer Swartzlander, Executive Director Children’s Mentoring Connection began serving youth as Big Brothers on October 1, 1974. During that first year of service the agency wrote their first United Way grant which described a ‘big brother’ as “a mature, well-adjusted man of good character who is willing to invest a small portion of his time and himself to provide guidance and companionship for a fatherless boy.” Within six months fifty-one men had applied to become a big brother. The agency added Big Sisters in 1978 and in 2004, the Board of Directors voted to discontinue the affiliation & become a local independent organization. At that time we began to serve Hancock County youth as Children’s Mentoring Connection of Hancock County. Just to jog your memory (or perhaps a history lesson for some of our youthful readers), in 1974 gas was 55 cents per gallon, they lowered the speed limit to 55 mph to conserve gasoline, an average new car was $3,750, the UPC code was first used including the first UPC scanner use in Troy, Ohio, favorite musicians included ABBA, Beach Boys and the Carpenters. The Waltons, The Price Is Right and The Six Million Dollar Man were popular TV shows. Popular toys included Twister and Little People from Fisher Price. I began to think about my own memories of the mid-1970’s as I would have been in elementary school at the time. And I began to contrast it to what elementary school children face today. Our society has seen a dramatic increase in substance use and abuse, violence and prescription drug abuse. Many years ago, I recall my own personal alarm when my kindergartener came home to tell me about the lockdown drill that was conducted by his teacher. The reality is our youth are facing greater challenges than ever before. As a community, we need to work together to support our youth and that support needs to be early in their life so it can be prevention and not treatment. Mentoring is prevention! Research indicates that matches between a mentor and child that last a minimum of six months have a positive impact. A nationwide survey finds that children matched with mentors are 52% more likely to have better school attendance, 42% more likely to avoid using illegal drugs and 33% more likely to avoid aggressive or violent behavior (Public/Private Ventures. Making A Difference: Impact Study on Big Brothers and Big Sisters, 2000). The good news is that in 40 years of service we have matched over 3,400 youth with a caring mentor. We have wonderful stories such Dwight and Symeon on the front page and Phyllis and Teresa on page 4. Every match is different just like each and every mentor and mentee is different. However, the common thread is that one caring adult is matched with one child and they share time together. It reminds me of a favorite quote by Mother Teresa, “We can do small things with great love.” Often people who are considering mentoring are worried about having enough time, having the right answers, knowing what to do with the child, etc. As you can learn from Phyllis and Dwight’s experiences, it is about one adult and one child being together.
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One Adult, One Child continued from page 2 While reviewing our agency historical material in preparation for our 40th Anniversary, Board member Linda DeArment commented, “This is a seminal moment for me. Forty years ago we started with 51 mentors willing to help out and today we have less than 51 mentors in our community-based mentoring program.” Again, we know youth needs and challenges have not diminished in forty years—rather, they have grown. This discussion has led the Children’s Mentoring Connection Board of Directors to kick off a 40 by 40 Campaign. Our campaign goal is to recruit 40 new mentors by our 40th Anniversary on October 1, 2014. Could you be our next Phyllis or Dwight?
31st Year of CMC Bowling for Kids By Colleen Reed, Office Manager The 31st Annual Bowling for Kids event was held on March 8 and 9th at AMF Sportsman Lanes. For many bowlers it’s the one and only time they bowl each year. For others it’s a way to enjoy their hobby and support a good cause. Either way we are impressed and grateful for the wonderful community we have that year in and year out supports the Children’s Mentoring Connection and its mission to develop competent, confident, and caring individuals through mentoring relationships. Highlights from this year were the food (of course!) donated by Little Caesars Pizza and Oler’s Bar & Grill, our celebrity announcers including Big Dave, Doug Jenkins, Julie Brown, Craig Kupferberg, Jennifer Bateson, Matt Klein, and Todd James and almost 600 bowlers. Teams ranged from families with parents teaching their kids by example to be involved in the community, to co-workers sharing camaraderie outside work hours, to corporate sponsors forming teams to show their workers appreciation for them. We also had teams of mentors and mentees, sharing time together and supporting the organization that brought them together. Many bowlers went home with great door prizes from generous local businesses. CMC Bowling For Kids co-chair Jennifer Bateson presents the
The first Battle of the Banks was hosted with Chase, Battle of the Bank trophy to Brian Young, President & CEO, Shelly Fifth Third, First Federal, First National Bank, Hindall, Findlay Branch Manager and Blair Lane, Commercial Lender. Millstream Area Credit Union, Union Bank and US Bank all participating. Teams were challenged to raise the most funds per bowler with bragging rights and a traveling trophy promised to the winning team. Congratulations to Union Bank for winning this year. There’s a lot going on in the 90 minutes each bowling shift lasts. The festive atmosphere, raffle sales and fundraising efforts prior to the event resulted in over $50,000 being raised to support the CMC mission. Thank you Findlay and Hancock County!
One Path
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By Katie Stutzman , Case Manager Mentoring can make an impact that lasts a lifetime or even a relationship that lasts a lifetime. Phyllis and Teresa have had a relationship for over 30 years that started as them being a Big and Little in our program. Phyllis and Teresa were matched February 17,1981. Their first outing was to the Dairy Queen in Arlington that night. Their relationship flourished from that first meeting. When they were first matched, Phyllis had just graduated from Phyllis and Teresa decorating cookies college and Teresa was living during one of their first times together. with her grandma and her older brother. Phyllis said there was a void in her life, her mother passed away when she was in high school, and something was just missing. She said "God puts people in your path for a reason and there was a reason that Teresa was put in my path!” During the time they were matched they went to the park, bowling, rollerskating, went shopping, decorated cookies, and much more. Phyllis and Teresa also did a lot of activities with two other matches. They still see the other matches from time-to-time and they even helped reunite some Bigs and Littles. Phyllis and Teresa in matching
A few years after their match Teresa went through a tragic sweaters. They sometimes wore experience. On Christmas Eve the house that her mother, father, and matching clothes. younger brothers lived in caught on fire, only one of her brothers made it out of the house. Phyllis was there for Teresa through all this. After the fire Teresa spent a summer in an orphanage in Toledo. Phyllis and her family visited often. When Teresa left the home in Toledo she moved in with her older brother's Big Brother from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and she was later adopted by him and his wife. When Teresa was adopted, her and Phyllis' match was officially closed (due to the Big Brother Big Sisters policy) but their relationship continued. They saw each other often and Phyllis even had a room for Teresa in her house. Teresa was a part of Phyllis' family. When Teresa graduated from high school, Phyllis gave her a cedar chest as her graduation present. This is a tradition of Phyllis' family that every girl gets a cedar chest when they graduate from high school. Teresa is planning on continuing this tradition when her daughter graduates from high school. They were both part of each other’s weddings and Phyllis threw a baby shower for Teresa when she had her first child. Teresa and Phyllis have been there for each other through the ups and downs of life. Teresa was diagnosed with breast cancer on the 30th anniversary of their match. Phyllis was there to help cook for Teresa’s family and there for Teresa on the good and the bad days.
Phyllis and Teresa today!
Teresa was a blessing in Phyllis’ life and Phyllis is grateful the friendship continued even when their matched closed. They both know even though they may not see each other every day, they are just a phone call away. Phyllis and Teresa plan on going on trips together and doing more
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One Path continued from page 4 things one-on-one, when Teresa’s kids are grown. Teresa also wants to be able give someone a chance and opportunity like Phyllis did for her, when her children are grown. Every match relationship is different, some last for a year and some last for a lifetime. Your relationship with your mentee will be different from everyone else’s relationship. Even the little things that you do with your mentee will make an impact for a lifetime.
Mentoring: a Healthy Habit By Katie Stutzman , Case Manager As I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, I noticed a post that really stuck out to me, it said: Development Director thoughts of the day: Studies indicate that next to quitting smoking, giving is the best possible thing you can do for your health. Volunteerism surpassed exercising four times a week for promoting longevity. Not only when you volunteer are you helping out others you are also improving yourself and your health! Many of our mentors tell us how much they get back from their mentees and how much they learn from them. Children’s Mentoring Connection is always looking for volunteers to be a mentor to a child! We have a few different options of mentoring programs: Traditional Mentoring – volunteer is matched in a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a child Couple and Family Mentoring – very similar to our traditional mentoring but a couple or a family (parents and children) are matched with a child 2-2-1 Buddies – two volunteers share the time and responsibility of being matched with a child PALS – volunteer is not matched with a specific child but engages in activities with the youth on our waiting list. Our PALS volunteers are asked to volunteer at least once a month. Group PALS – Business, churches, civic, social, and community groups work with small groups of youth from our waiting list. School- Based – Volunteers are either matched one-on-one or in a small group and participate with the child(ren) and meet at school. If you are interested in becoming a mentor please contact the office at 419-424-9752 or sign up online at www.hancockmentors.org
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Explore Our World By Jennifer Swartzlander, Executive Director
The old adage— ‘time flies when you are having fun’ holds true as we think about the Jacobs’ Explore Our World program. This year we Explored Our World with forty-two 2nd and 3rd graders from Jacobs and twenty-two mentors. The format of the group mentoring included one mentor to one to three students. Mentors are paired up at tables so there is an additional team approach if needed. The one hour session begins with a healthy snack and time with their small group, followed by an enrichment activity for the entire group and then the participants end back in small groups for conversation about the enrichment activity. Our goals for Explore Our World included: Create a caring relationship between mentors and children in a small group setting Provide new and different social educational activities Offer a healthy snack and time for conversation with the mentors Develop a sense of school connectedness through FUN! Our evaluation process included a pre-survey, midyear survey, and post-survey in which we measured the youth on those goals. There was improvement in those areas in 74% of the youth who participated. The youth and the mentors were very consistent in their attendance. The feedback from the teachers and principal included that many students, including high-risk students, are doing better in school, students’ behaviors and functioning improved and they were impressed by the level of engagement . For me, the success of the program can be summarized by the relationships built. My favorite part of the program is the first five minutes when the youth enter the gym and greet their mentors. There are a lot of hugs and warm greetings. I was particularly touched by one of our youth who had been removed from the program for a short time due to the child’s behavior. The child came back to the program and has shined. Each week that child enters the gym and runs to greet the mentor. There is a visible warmth between the two. What makes Explore Our World successful? Simple —RELATIONSHIPS! We are currently seeking grants so we can continue Explore Our World at Jacobs and expand our schoolbased mentoring into Bigelow Hill Intermediate, Glenwood Middle School and Cory Rawson School next year. Please contact Becky Baratta to learn more about our school-based programs
[email protected] or 419-424-9752.
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Welcome our new case manager, Katie Stutzman
MARK YOUR CALENDAR May 1 Volunteer Appreciation Banquet May 13 Disc Golf Outing June 14 Camp Beck Outing July 16 Putt-Putt Outing
I am Katie Stutzman, the new case manager! I grew up in a small rural community in Michigan on my family's farm where we raise pigs. I attended Michigan State University and got my Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies and Agriscience with a specialization in community engagement and education. After graduating from college I served two years as an AmeriCorps member with Mentor Michigan College Coaching Corps at Clinton County MSU Extension, where I served as the program coordinator for Key Mentoring, an afterschool elementary mentoring program. My time as an AmeriCorps member opened the world of mentoring to me and I fell in love with it. I am excited to be here with Children's Mentoring Connection and cannot wait to meet everyone!
August (date TBD) Mud Hens Game September 13 Babb Memorial Golf Scramble Reserve your team by email to Nancy at
[email protected] September 18 CMC Tailgate Party at Riverside Park Shelter #26, 5-7 p.m. Learn more about mentoring September 27 Camp Beck October 1 CMC 40th Anniversary December 6 CMC Christmas Party
Is Mentoring For You?
Do you prefer not to attend meetings, take minutes or vote on anything?
Do you like to set your own schedule?
Would you prefer to spend your time doing and sharing what you enjoy most?
Would you rather be casual/informal?
Do you like to have fun?
Would you like to be a great role model just by being you?
If the answer to these questions is “yes,” mentoring is for you! Sign up today—you will be AMAZING!
www.hancockmentors.org 419-424-9752
PLACE STAMP HERE
305 East Lincoln Street Findlay, OH 45840
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