Supporting National Mentoring Month

SUPPORTING NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH -- (House of Representatives - February 08, 2005)

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his leadership in bringing this resolution, recognizing National Mentoring Month, to the floor today; and also want to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller of California), ranking member, for their leadership roles in making this legislation possible to be heard.

Since coming to Congress, the gentleman from Nebraska has worked to make youth issues a national priority, and this resolution is another example of his dedication to this effort.

Without a doubt, Mr. Speaker, mentoring is a proven strategy that can change the lives of children and youth, and I might add, add value to the lives of those who provide the mentoring service.

When a young person is matched with a caring, responsible individual, this relationship often makes a positive difference in the quality of life for that young person. For too long we have focused on providing remedies to problems that only address negative behavior, rather than looking at ways to promote the positive and healthy development of our young people. This resolution directs us to focus on what children need in order to grow into healthy, safe, and well-educated adults, making sure that children have access to a caring and responsible adult relationship.

A recent report from the Greater West Town Community Development Project showed that nearly 18 percent of Chicago public school students drop out. Another report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation showed that more than 200 Chicago-area children are living in severely distressed neighborhoods. These are among the tens of thousands of Chicago area youth who could dramatically benefit from having a mentor, since without one, some would never be exposed to healthy, productive lifestyles and the development of real-life skills. Research shows that young people who are mentored had a stronger attachment to school, have higher graduation rates, and decreased involvement with drugs and violence.

Mentoring opens young people's eyes to a brighter future, and every young person deserves that opportunity. But right now there are simply not enough mentors to go around. Only about 1,000 of the more than 1 million school-age children in the Chicago area are fortunate enough to have a mentor. A mentor, of course, is an adult, who along with parents, provides young people with support counsel, friendship, and a constructive example. The average mentor spends 8 to 10 hours a month with his or her mentee on activities such as doing homework, going to the library, playing in the park, and playing sports.

This resolution brings much-needed attention to the value of mentoring and encourages communities to focus their efforts on recruiting more mentors so that we can fill the gap that currently exists. I am proud of the many mentoring programs that are already in place in the Chicagoland area, such as Mercy Home's Friends First Program and Sinai Mentoring Program, which links Mount Sinai Hospital professionals with youth from North and South Lawndale High Schools.

I also congratulate Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago, which is spearheading a number of local events to mark National Mentoring Month. It has partnered with organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, Community Resource Network, Cook County Juvenile Court Mentoring Network, Horizons For Youth, the Jewish Children's Bureau, Lifelink Latino Special Services Program, Mercy Home For Boys and Girls, and Uhlich Children's Advantage Network and Working in Schools.

I also want to commend the Chicago public school system, the board of education, for the development of a program called Cradle to the Classroom, where they had mentors who worked individually with young parents and students who had become pregnant and who had children and yet have been able to finish their high school education and graduate with the help of a mentor.

In Chicago and across the country, it is clear that the framework is in place. Now we just need more people to volunteer their time and help change the life of a child.
I am very pleased to be associated with many groups and organizations like the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, which has a great national mentoring program, and especially my local chapter, Mu Mu Lambda. I am also pleased to be associated with the 100 Black Men of America, who have mentoring programs and chapters throughout the Nation.
Mr. Speaker, once again I want to commend the gentleman from Nebraska for his insight, dedication, and continuous work with the development of the young people, as expressed in this resolution. I urge strong support for it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I simply would want to thank all of those who have spoken on behalf of this resolution. Again, I commend the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) for his leadership, and would urge all adults who want to be helpful to become mentors.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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