Wahkiakum youth mentoring hosts Q&A

After a fun and successful sophomore year, Wahkiakum Youth Mentoring continues to look for opportunities to grow. Throughout the National Mentoring Month of January and into February, team coordinators have visited public meetings and other gatherings to promote the program and recruit more mentors and youth.

Next week, they will be hosting a Wahkiakum Youth Mentoring Q&A for anyone interested in participating. Potential mentors, parents and youth are welcome to attend. Coordinators and some current participants will be on hand to answer questions and talk about their experience.

Mentors are asked to volunteer only four hours a month and commit to the program for one year. For many, those minimum hours are easily surpassed. Since last March, mentors have racked up over 500 hours working one on one with local youth in the program or while attending monthly group activities hosted by the program. As a result, they have bonded while baking, playing board games, bicycling, geocaching, watching movies, ice skating, making dinner, going out for ice cream, and so much more.

Mentors and mentees also gather as a group each month for fun and educational experiences with other community members who have volunteered some of their time. They’ve gone fishing with M.D. Johnson, painted plates with Ruth Doumit, and learned the art of nature journaling from Julie Tennis. They’ve also tried golfing with Wahkiakum High School golf coaches Andrew Weiler and Nick Vavoudis, learned to play chess after painting their own chess pieces with Cedar Mora, and even won prizes at a fun bingo event hosted by Pastor Dave Martin at Heritage Bible Church. Just last month, they filled the Great Hall of the Hope Center in Cathlamet with laughter while playing theater games with Joe Baker and Lorene Vanderwalker.

The mission of Wahkiakum Youth Mentoring’s program is to build confidence and support our youth by strengthening connections to our local community through adult support and community involvement. We believe connection to others and our community is essential for healthy youth and families.

The Wahkiakum Youth Mentoring Q&A is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb.18, at 6 p.m. at the Hope Center in Cathlamet, 320 S. 3rd Street. All are welcome to attend.