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Friends and Mentors
Description: Friends and Mentors (FAM) is a group working with Berkshire Farms temporary home for 11-to 17-year-olds, sent there by family courts because of truancy, behavioral problems, or family issues. Small groups of Colgate students mentor these youth Monday through Thursday nights, with occasional weekend activities. Mentoring can include homework help, gym time, board games, and attendance of Colgate events. The goal of the program is to develop friendships and act as positive role models for the FAM kids, helping to instill the confidence and skills they need for success beyond the group home.
Volunteers usually meet one hour per week with the kids; as a group they meet every other week.
Colgate students are actively engaged in helping their mentees develop, and so have hosted a number of events to aid in that mission. The group has brought the kids to Colgate to attend lectures, including one by John Graham, director of Giraffe Heroes Project. Other times they have coordinated to bring the kids to the Colgate rock climbing wall and to various sporting events.
Community: FAM works at the Madison Group Home, located in nearby Madison, NY, about 10 minutes away.
Volunteers say: "Many of the residents have had difficult lives, and have grown up used to disappointment and neglect. I think that it makes a difference in their lives to show that there are people out there who genuinely care enough to spend time with them. They love coming to campus for events and activities, and it is worth the while to seem them get out of the house and enjoy themselves."
"It's great to know that one hour of your time per week can make such a huge difference in someone's life. The kids look forward to us coming, and at the end of the year they gave us gifts they had made themselves."
Resources: Berkshire Farms