When you were growing up, who made you feel good about yourself?
For me, I think that person was my brother. Although he teased me ruthlessly when we were young, he was always there for me… And when he went off to college, his letters were a precious reminder that there was someone who thought I was extraordinary.
Mentoring Program addresses a need
Everyone needs someone to make them feel good about themselves, and for many youth, mentoring programs were established to offer that support.
In 1985, Regina Snowden established Partners for Youth with Disabilities Inc (PYD) to address this specific need. As a community based mentoring program, PYD now serves youth of all disabilities between the ages of 6-24 years old.
Addressing the whole child
Last month I met staff at PYD and was truly inspired by their passion and commitment to this mission. I began by meeting with Kaela Vronsky, Mentoring and National Center Director who gave an overview of their comprehensive programs.
“Our goal is to address the whole child and use our programs, including mentoring, to help facilitate a smooth transition to independent adulthood. PYD now includes our Access to Theater, Making Healthy Connections, and Young Entrepreneurs Programs. ”
Mentoring makes a difference.
Jeff Lafata, Mentor Match Specialist then shared his thoughts about why people ask for mentors. “For children, some have really bad self esteem and want help. For older youth with disabilities, many are getting ready for college or preparing for a job and want a mentor with a disability to let them know they too can be successful.”
He then spoke of a match where he was personally inspired. “We had a
mentee who was 22 and a wheelchair user. During the interview he was extremely dynamic talking about an internship he would be doing at a recording studio. But he could also be depressed and didn’t really identify with having a disability. We matched him with a mentor who was 30 years old, also a wheelchair user, married, and had his own business. By meeting him, he could see it was possible to be where he wanted to go.”
Think about being a mentor
PYD presently has 65 active matches, with an additional 50 youth on the waiting list; 80% are male who prefer a male mentor. Statistically, that means for every adult male on the mentor waiting list there are 8 youth looking to be matched specifically with a male mentor.
So if you or someone you know is interested in being a mentor, especially your male friends, contact Jeff at jlafata@pyd.org
After visiting this wonderful organization, I assure you it will be worth the call.