Match. Mesh. Belong.February 2015
Henry County Agricultural Extension District
In This Issue
School Year Update
Value of Mentoring
Community Events Update
Quick Links

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Thank you for supporting the Club M, Henry County Mentoring, youth program.

 

We appreciate you taking the time to read this newsletter. It outlines what is happening with our program as well as future events.

 

As always, just a reminder to check out our website for our event calendar and program information and be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

 

School Year Update

In January, Club M presented at the Winfield-Mount Union school board and the Mount Pleasant school board. Thank you to everyone who supported us. We have been featured in the Mount Pleasant News as well about our funding and future objectives and we appreciate the support of the community.


Club M resumed for the semester at Winfield-Mount Union on January 21st and Mount Pleasant on January 28th. 

 

At our Winfield-Mount Union Club M on January 21st, we recognized our mentors as part of National Mentoring Month and we had a superhero party. We had our superhero party for Mount Pleasant mentors and mentees on February 11th.

 

On February 4th, we cancelled Club M due to inclement weather. We always miss seeing our mentors and mentees and we were happy to see the Mount Pleasant matches on February 11th and look forward to seeing our Winfield-Mount Union matches on February 18th.

 

Just a reminder that we post information about program updates and cancellations on our Facebook and Twitter pages as soon as possible and notify KILJ so please be sure to like and follow us.

 

It is also the time of year again when the students from Developmental Psychology plan our Mentor for a Day event. Mentor for a Day will be taking place on February 28th at Winfield-Mount Union.

 

 

 

   

 

 


 

 

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The Value of Mentoring

According to Mentor: National Mentoring Partnership,

at its most basic level, mentoring helps because it guarantees a young person that there is someone who cares about them. A child is not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges.

 

Think back. Did you know how to study for a test or make plans for college? Do you remember wanting your first car or looking for a part-time job? Simple things that seem easy or straightforward to you now may appear to be a complete mystery to a young person.

 

Mentors provide their mentees with an experienced friend who is there to help in any number of situations.

Support for education

  • Mentors help keep students in school.
  • Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters).
  • Mentors help with homework and can improve their mentees' academic skills.

Support with day-to-day living

  • Mentors help improve a young person's self-esteem.
  • Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters).
  • About 40% of a teenager's waking hours are spent without companionship or supervision. Mentors provide teens with a valuable place to spend free time.
  • Mentors teach young people how to relate well to all kinds of people and help them strengthen communication skills.

Support in the workplace

  • Mentors help young people set career goals and start taking steps to realize them.
  • Mentors can use their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals, find internships and locate job possibilities.
  • Mentors introduce young people to professional resources and organizations they may not know.
  • Mentors can help their mentees learn how to seek and keep jobs.

The number of ways mentoring can help a youth are as varied as the people involved in each program. While the lists and statistics can be impressive, personal stories can be even more impressive. Take a look at mentoring success stories to see how mentoring works from different perspectives.

 

 

   

 

 


 

 

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Community Events Update

Club M will be hosting its Table Affair fundraiser on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at the Mount Pleasant High School. The keynote speaker will be V.J. Smith. Catering will be provided by Indian Hills Culinary Institute. Save the Date invitations will be coming out soon and we are interested in finding individuals or groups who would be interested in hosting a table. Table hosts will be responsible for finding 8 people to attend, providing a dessert for your table to share, decorating the table in a theme of your choosing, and encouraging each guest to make a $20 contribution. It promises to be a fun evening and we don't want you to miss it! Email Chelsea White at chelsea.white@iwc.edu for more information and to sign-up to be a table host.

 

Iowa Wesleyan College is hosting the Manning Service Challenge on Sunday, March 1st at 7:00 pm in the Social Hall at IWC. Families in the Mount Pleasant community are invited to come package hygiene kits that will be donated to the Fellowship Cup. The items needed are being collected through a donation drive which runs until February 23rd. Collection sites are located at the Fellowship Cup, Iowa Wesleyan College, and local churches. If  you are interested in making a donation, the items needed include: travel size deodorant, shampoo, lotion, hand sanitizer, soap, razors (for men & women), and toilet tissue. Pizza will be provided to those who RSVP for the packaging event so please contact Chelsea White at chelsea.white@iwc.edu if you would like to attend.

 

Iowa Wesleyan College is hiring its next AmeriCorps VISTA! To learn more about the position, visit https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=58816&fromSearch=true. The VISTA would be serving for the 2015-2016 academic year and it is a 12 month commitment.

 

 

 

   

 

 


 

 

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Staff

Cassie Gerst---Program Coordinator

Heidi Hedgecock---Match Support Specialist

Chelsea White--AmeriCorps VISTA for Club M and Iowa Wesleyan College

 

Volunteers

Needed
Do you like being a mentor? If so, help us spread the word about our program.
Here is what you could do to help us match more children....
1) Invite us to speak at your Club, Association, Church or work
2) Ask your work or church to put a blurb about us in thier Newsletter
3) Add http://www.clubm.club/ to your email signatures
4) Facebook about the fun you are having as a Club M Mentor
5) Tweet out about Club M and follow us on Twitter
6) Talk to a friend about us....and help recruit more Volunteer Mentors
Thanks for helping spread the word!   Match. Mesh. Belong.  Club M.