[Community-service] National Mentoring Month

[Jessica]

Chris,
Well put. I have been a mentor in similar situations. It is amazing how
little time it takes and with a few simple words to change a person's
outlook on their future or something relatively minor like a school project.
Jessica 

-----Original Message-----
From: community-service-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:community-service-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris Parsons
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 9:11 PM
To: Community Service Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Community-service] National Mentoring Month

Hi all,

I think having a mentor is incredibly important. The mentoring relationship
gives you the opportunity to interact with and learn from someone who has
possibly been where you are and who has experienced some of the things you
have and can offer advice and help you gain confidence in yourself. There is
just something about being able to talk to and share your experiences with
someone who can really relate.

I've mentioned here before that I volunteer with a group for blind
teenagers. As a volunteer, I am responsible for various things, but the
thing that I find most rewarding is something that is not a formal volunteer
responsibility. My favorite part of working with these teens is just getting
to talk to them and share experiences. I used to be a part of this group
before I graduated from high school, and I remember how important it was
then for me to hear from those who had been where I was and with whom I
could share and discuss experiences. Now I want to be able to give back to
this new group of kids in the same way.

I have also had and continue to have mentors within the NFB, especially as I
take on more leadership roles and learn what it takes to be a leader.

I think that some of the qualities that make a great mentor are being a good
listener; having a willingness to share one's experiences; having a desire
to teach and guide others, but also to let them figure things out so they
gain confidence in themselves and their skills; and having the ability to
teach through example (to show, not just tell).

I think the biggest challenge/fear I have faced in being a mentor is having
enough confidence in myself and my own skills to feel like I am making a
difference to others, and although I still struggle with this, one thing I
have found while mentoring this new group of teenagers is that a lot of
times it's the small things you do that stay with those you mentor--stopping
for a moment to explain Braille to one teen and to show her a couple of
letters, answering a group's questions about college--and not just the
typical academic questions, or praising another student's work because I
know she feels uncertain about her own skills even though she's done a
really great job. Being a mentor doesn't mean you have to set this perfect
example (this spoken by a true perfectionist, *smile*). It just means that
you are there for those you are mentoring--to listen, to offer advice (and
to admit when you don't know the answer), and to help your mentees gain
confidence in themselves so they can be successful and hopefully go on to
mentor others. For me, the most rewarding thing about mentoring is so simple
to articulate but so incredibly important at the same time, and that is the
chance to make a difference in someone's life.

Chris


-----Original Message-----
From: Community Service Content
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 12:17 PM
To: community-service at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Community-service] National Mentoring Month

Hello all,

You may have heard that January is National Mentoring Month. Serving as a
mentor to an individual or a group can be a very rewarding way to give back.

This month gives us an opportunity to reflect upon mentoring: How important
is having a mentor? Who has been a mentor to us in the past?
What qualities make a great mentor? Have we ourselves been a mentor to
someone? What challenges, benefits, fears, and or rewards are involved in
being either a mentor or mentee? As we take the time to think about and
share our experiences, we can also tell our mentors how much we appreciate
them on January 26, which is Thank Your Mentor Day!

January also presents an ideal time to take action. If you want to learn
more about NMM or would like to join an organization in your community to
mentor others, you can go to:

http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/

Happy mentoring!

_______________________________________________
Community-service mailing list
Community-service at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/community-service_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Community-service:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/community-service_nfbnet.org/christine-par
sons%40sbcglobal.net 


_______________________________________________
Community-service mailing list
Community-service at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/community-service_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Community-service:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/community-service_nfbnet.org/cloudedleopar
d2010%40gmail.com