R ogue Valley Mentoring’s 1-to1 Match Program matches youth with a consistent mentor who will spend 1-2 hours per week with them, on whatever schedule works best for the mentee’s family and volunteer mentor. We background check, fingerprint, train, and vet caring, consistent adults to be 1-to-1 youth mentors. Research shows that young people who experience close relationships with caring, stable adults outside of the home are better able to develop into resilient, healthy adults.
Mentees and their mentors go on walks in the park, go to the mall, attend fun cultural events, ride bicycles, and do other fun activities in the local community; whatever the youth, mentor, and family decide to do! We ask for at least a 1-year commitment to the matches from families and mentors, to ensure the relationship is consistent and beneficial for the youth.
The First Step is Submitting an Application…
Then, Rogue Valley Mentoring’s Match Program Coordinator, Chelsea Beeler, will reach out to the youth & their family to schedule time to meet and discuss the youth’s hopes for a mentor, their interests, and the overall needs of the family. When RVM finds a great mentor for the youth, we reach out to set-up a Match Meeting, where the family, youth, mentor, and RVM staff meet to discuss the Match, and see if everyone is on board. If everyone agrees to the match, they will spend time together for at least a year, with the constant support of Chelsea, and our Mentor / Youth Support Specialist, Lynn Chertkov, MSW.
Some of our awesome mentees, mentors, youth families, and RVM staff celebrating in June at our
annual 1:1 Match BBQ at RVM’s Nature Center!
We collaborated with Oregon Art on a Mission (OAM) for an epic galaxy painting at our annual BBQ – plus, yard games, dinner, music, a fun photo booth, lots of laughter, and camaraderie!