Terry and Kiara have been a mentor pair for about six years. In honor of National Mentoring Month, they sat down to talk with Lt. Governor Zuckerman to share more about the mentoring programs they’ve been involved in, such as Grand Isle County Mentoring and our own mentoring program.

Asked how their partnership has changed over the years, Kiara told “We used to play Trouble a lot, and different board games. Now, we go ice skating a lot, we go to the movies, and we go to [my mentor’s] house and cook.”

Plus, Kiara is involved in Girls Who Code.

“Kiara just amazes me,” says her mentor Terry. “She’s very bright, and very interested in technology and computers. She was showing me this program that she wrote, and I didn’t know anything about it, and I thought, how can I help her in an area that I don’t know anything about?

Hearing about Kiara’s interest in coding, Terry’s daughter recommended Girls Who Code.

“So we contacted them, and found out that it was an agency, and located at UVM, so now every Saturday, I help by taking her to Girls Who Code,” says Terry.

Plus, there are countless other activities, too. As Terry told Lt. Gov. Zuckerman, “it has been great to branch out to [the Spectrum mentoring program]. It gave us a lot of flexibility.” Together, Kiara and Terry can go on all kinds of adventures, or out in the community together.

“Thanks to Mobius, there’s a bunch of businesses that offer discounts for the two of us.”

For example, when Kiara told her mentor she wanted to learn to ice skate, Terry took advantage of the Mobius discount to visit the Cairns Arena in South Burlington. It’s free for Kiara to skate, and Terry pays just $5.

Plus, they’ve been able to go to several shows at the Flynn, thanks to Mobius’s generous discounted ticket program for mentor pairs.

Lt. Governor Zuckerman asked how their mentoring relationship has impacted their lives.

“[Having a mentor] has helped me have a little more self-confidence,” says Kiara.

“I feel young again,” says Terry of her experience as a mentor. “I feel like a teenager when I’m with her. I feel excited to show her new things, but often Kiara is the one who is teaching me more.”

And says Kiara of the partnership, “it’s good to know that there’s someone there to bring you places and help you do stuff when nobody else wants to.”

“And, it’s good having someone to talk to. Sometimes, people don’t want to listen to you, but mentors do.”

Listen to their full interview on Lt. Governor Zuckerman’s Facebook page.

Interested in becoming a mentor? Contact Stephanie, our mentoring coordinator, at sball@spectrumvt.org or (802) 864-7423 x321.

The post Mentor Pair Interview: Kiara and Terry appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Governor Phil Scott cuts the ribbon with Detail Works employees, celebrating our official opening.

From our Executive Director, Mark Redmond:

I’m thrilled to let you know that last week was the grand opening of Detail Works, our car detailing business that helps our youth build skills to become successful employees.

As Gov. Scott put it that night, “They couldn’t accomplish all of this without all of your support.” And he’s right! Because of supporters like you, Detail Works is a reality. Thank you for believing in our youth.

“The biggest thing that I love about working here is knowing that each and every one of you supports all of us. You give us more support than we’ve had in our lives.” — Charles, a Detail Works employee.

From one happy customer this week: “They did a great job. My car hasn’t been this clean in years. Very complete and professional. Highly recommend this service.”

These appointments go fast, so make one now. And, while you’re there, check out our new website. As always, I’d love to know what you think.

Thanks,

Mark Redmond
Executive Director

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From left, Governor Phil Scott, Ethan, and Rajnii Eddins.

Mentor pair Rajnii and Ethan went to Montpelier, VT last week for the Mobius Mentors Mentoring Celebration at the statehouse, and they had a blast!

Rajnii Eddins, of Bless the Child, and Ethan kicked off the ceremony at the statehouse with a Mentor Rap. They taught the audience how it went, and then performed it.

They also got to meet Governor Phil Scott, who read a Mentoring Month proclamation at the event. Rajnii, Ethan, and the rest of the audience also celebrated Emily Bellmore, who was named Comcast’s Mentor of the Year. Congratulations, Emily!

Here’s the song that Rajnii wrote and that he and Ethan performed at the mentoring celebration:

Say I will succeed… 3x (All: I will succeed)
I keep it positive in my thoughts, words, and deeds.

It’s a special dedication
A mentorship celebration
Not even sky’s the limit
So get your education
Thank every one of y’all
for your participation
Without that affirmation
Life can be intimidating
What you do for the youth
Is a demonstration
Changing negative
to positive situations
Honestly that’s the reason
We commemorating
Say, the youth is the truth
That’s why I give you praises
A simple token of my esteem
For your living greatness
So let me celebrate our mentorship connection
Everybody Wins, we in the same Spectrum.

Say I will succeed… 3x
I keep it positive in my thoughts, words, and deeds.

All of you here
let your light be magnified
Reading and feeding the mind
Voices amplified
Your thirst for knowledge has a never-ending appetite
Keep pursuing, and soon your dreams will have arrived
Everybody needs some support displayed
Time spent with youth can go a long way
Time on the courts
Bonding, playing sports
Science and mathematics
Applying mental mechanics
Art from the heart
Plays its part on the canvas
Tutoring the students
Rebooting the true computer
Mentorships attentive to community improvement
I believe you’ll do it
cause you here to show and prove it.

Say I will succeed… 3x
I keep it positive in my thoughts, words, and deeds.

Rajnii and Ethan lead a mentoring rap.

Interested in becoming a mentor? Learn more or email Lee Ann Donner at ldonner@spectrumvt.org.

The post “I will succeed!” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Bob and Ryan met four years ago through our mentoring program. Since then, Bob’s helped Ryan get his boating and driving licenses, and they’ve gone to Red Sox games and ridden along on fire department ladder trucks. They’re even participating in the Spectrum Sleep Out this year in solidarity with youth who are homeless! As Ryan put it, “The past four years have been the best four years of my life, and I couldn’t be any more thankful for you, Bob.”

January is National Mentoring Month, and Mobius Mentors organized a wonderful celebration day at the Vermont State House for the mentoring programs that reach across the state.

Each mentoring program nominated one mentor to win Comcast’s Vermont Mentor of the Year. Thanks to your votes, we’re excited to tell you that Bob Wheel and his mentee Ryan received the award for Comcast’s Vermont Mentor of the Year!

We are so excited for Bob and Ryan, and so grateful to you for casting your vote to support them. The celebration was especially wonderful because Bob’s friends and family came, too! It was truly a community effort.

Bob wanted to share this amazing news and his thanks to family and friends, and we’ve posted an excerpt below:

“My good friend Mark Redmond will be quick to tell you that it takes a village to raise a child. I will happily acknowledge that the members of my village have always been very eager to help me to provide my friend Ryan with unique opportunities. Without your generous and gracious support, the past four years would not have been nearly as exciting for Ryan and me.

“So to my daughter Carol, and other members of my family who have treated Ryan as a member of the extended family, thank you. To my many good friends, who have provided spectacular visits to the beach, or top tier tickets to Fenway, thank you!! Or to those who have helped to provide Ryan with an awesome experience with a championship Cannons Baseball season, thank you.

“And to my friends at South Burlington Fire Department who have helped develop Ryan’s sense of respect for public safety and have provided him with experiences that he will forever remember, thank you! To a great friend and their spouse, who hooked Ryan up with a full set of snowboard gear to facilitate our trips to the mountain (even the one when I tore my Achilles tendon), thank you.

“To my good friends Lee Ann Donner and Mark Redmond of Spectrum Youth and Family Services, thank you. Your never-ending support and guidance ensures our success, so again, thank you.

“To Mobius Mentoring and to all of the individuals, corporations, and businesses that support mentoring in Vermont, thank you! Your generosity allows mentoring pairs the opportunity to embark on adventures that may not be possible otherwise.

“To my own mentor and Scoutmaster, Larry O’Keefe, thank you!

“But I really need to thank my mentoring partner Ryan Wallace for a great four years. The rewards in our mentoring relationship are bisynchronous my friend, they go both ways. Mentoring may end at some point, but friendship is for life.

“And to Ryan’s mom, thank you for trusting me with your kid. I know very much how important he is to you, and I appreciate your trust and support.

“So, if you are thinking about being a mentor, but think you don’t have the time, just ask yourself, who mentored you?”

We are so moved by Bob’s words of gratitude, and the words of praise from his community:

As one person put it, “You have been such a strong supporter and a big influence in his life … you’ve always stood tall by his side with such great advice and unconditional love and support.”

Ryan told us, “Bob has made me realize that school is not really a game or a joke anymore. If you want to do something, you’ve got to work for it. He’s worked for everything he has.”

One of Bob’s friends said, “You deserve recognition for showing Ryan that giving back to your own community is what can help heal a broken world.”

We couldn’t agree more! Congratulations to Bob on his well-deserved award for Vermont Mentor of the Year.

To learn more about our mentoring program and become a mentor, email Lee Ann Donner at ldonner@spectrumvt.org, or call (617) 480-8215.

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Bob and David went fishing together, watched movies, and even taught him how to parallel-park. But that wasn’t all.

In David’s words, “Bob always gave me lots of good advice. … I felt like I was being bullied in high school and so I wasn’t a very good student. Sometimes I wasn’t a very good kid. But Bob was always there for me.”

Read more about their friendship here.

Contact Lee Ann Donner to learn more about becoming a mentor.

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