The mission of the Joan A. Male Family Support Center is to provide free support to families and safety to children when parenting gets tough. The Center provides services to families with children of all ages - the support they can’t always get from families, neighbors, or even parents. Agency services include: 24-Hour Parent Help Line,in-home crisis intervention,parent support groups,child enrichment programs, community education, and emergency respite care. The agency also has a full service day care center licensed for 124 children. Our goal is to stop the inter-generational cycle of violence, as statistics show that approximately 95% of parents who abuse/neglect their children were maltreated as children.
Type of Volunteer Needed
Volunteers should be 21 or over with access to a car.
Volunteer Skills Needed
We are seeking volunteer mentors to work one-on-one with either an older teen in foster care who has been freed for adoption, or with an older youth who has no family resources. Through mentoring, advocacy, friendship and ongoing support, a mentor can make the future brighter for a special youth. Children and mentors will be screened to identify likes and dislikes in order to make a good match. All mentors will be trained and will be accompanied on mentor visits until they feel comfortable working with the child on their own.
Volunteer Responsibilities
Mentors will spend an average of 2 hours per week with the child and must make a commitment of at least one year of service so that the child does not feel abandoned. Mentors will receive a monthly stipend averaging $50 that will assist them in promoting meaningful activities with their mentee.
