Become a Mentor
Good Shepherd’s mentoring program serves the adolescent boys and girls who reside in our group residences, supportive housing program, or foster boarding homes across New York City. These young people are unable to live with their families for a variety of reasons and many of them have not had the benefit of positive adult role models in their lives. In our work, we place high priority on promoting job and career readiness and in preparing our young people for independent living in the community. The mentoring program is one important way in which our young people are given exposure to the world-of-work.
Make a positive impact one young person at a time.
What is a Mentor?
A mentor is in the unique position to offer his/her mentee consistent and ongoing support, friendship, guidance, concrete help, access to resources, positive reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors can expose their mentees to the world of work through job shadowing; expand their mentees’ recreational and cultural horizons; advocate for their mentee and provide access to educational and vocational opportunities and resources.
Our mentors spend regularly scheduled, structured time with their mentee on and off site, generally at least two evenings a month for a period of one year, although many of our mentors have continued their relationships beyond the year, and even after the youth has left Good Shepherd. The initial few meetings must take place on our premises, but later mentors and mentees typically opt to go visit off site.
Mentors take youngsters to restaurants, the movies, sports and cultural events, to their workplaces, or just for walks. Mentors are carefully screened prior to being assigned a mentee. They receive training and ongoing support from our mentor coordinator and individual program staff. The mentoring relationship is tracked in order to ensure that the match is going well, and to provide any guidance and support needed to help sustain these special relationships.
Join the Program!
For more information on the mentoring program or to sign up to be a mentor, please contact our Mentoring Coordinator:
Shirley Salomon, CSW
T 917-318-9993
