Mentoring Program Needs Volunteers in Stephens Co.

Family Connection of Stephens County is still looking for mentors from the community to help fill spots in its mentoring program in the Stephens County School System.

Mentor Coordinator Nancy Ekback says that Family Connection is about halfway to its goal of 115 mentors for this school year.

Ekback says they are looking for adults to take time out of their day throughout the course of the next year to meet with a child in the Stephens County school system.

“We are working with students that are at risk,” said Ekback. “They just help working with that child working one-on-one.”

According to Ekback, the program’s motto is that “it only takes one.”

She says that means thy are just asking volunteer mentors to donate one hour of one day of the week throughout the year to spend with one child in the school system.

“We just ask they come in once a week for one hour and that includes travel time,” said Ekback.

Ekback says that Family Connection provides all of the training that mentors need to take part in the program.

Also, she says that volunteers can request to work with a specific age group or at a specific school.

According to Ekback, offering to spend one hour a week with a child as a mentor can make a huge difference in that child’s life.

“A lot of times our children do not have that one person they can look forward to meeting with,” said Ekback. “We have found through research mentoring improves a young person’s self-esteem.”

She also said children with mentors are less likely to use drugs or alcohol and also have more success with setting goals.

For more information on the mentoring program in the Stephens County school system, call Ekback at 706-898-5115 or go online to stephens.gafcp.org.