Supporting the Goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month

SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 15, 2006)
SPEECH OF HON. BETTY McCOLLUM OF MINNESOTA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2006

* Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Mentoring Caucus I rise today in strong support for National Mentoring Month.

* Millions of individuals across the country serve as mentors to young men and women--encouraging and promoting the development of strong characters and identities for youth who may not have a strong adult presence in their lives.

* In my own State of Minnesota, there are over 350 mentoring programs that connect youth with positive role models. One valuable mentoring program is Big Brothers Big Sisters. In the St. Paul/Minneapolis region alone, more than 3,700 children benefit from this mentoring program with the time and energy of more than 3,200 volunteers.

* Minnesota is also home to the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, which formed in 1994 as a community initiative to promote mentoring for Minnesota youth, particularly those who are at risk and may lack positive role models in their lives.

* A mentor can be a friend, a listener, a coach, a tutor, or a confidant. A mentor simply cares enough to be a good listener, and they often open doors to new worlds--offering encouragement and support along the way. Mentoring programs create opportunities and encourage successes that can last a lifetime.

* I would like to thank the sponsor of this bill, Mr. OSBORNE from Nebraska, whose cousin--the Honorable Kathleen Vellenga--was a mentor of mine when I served in the Minnesota State House of Representatives.

* I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution and to look for opportunities to be a mentor themselves.

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