Title
To recognize January as National Mentoring Month in the City of Columbus; celebrating the leadership of Franklin County Children Services (FCCS) and thanking FCCS for its ongoing commitment to improving the lives of young people in Central Ohio.
Body
WHEREAS, National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote youth mentoring in the United States - it was inaugurated in 2002 and is spearheaded by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Corporation for National and Community Service; and
WHEREAS, relationships with caring mentors offer youth valuable support - guiding them toward making positive, healthy life choices - mentoring programs also offer effective student interventions - improve student attendance and behavior, academic performance, increase High School Graduation rates, and in a significant number of instances culminate in college attendance; and
WHEREAS, youth mentorship programs help young people improve their self-esteem, enhance their relationships with family members and peers - ultimately helping them to feel a greater sense of connectedness with their community and their schools; and
WHEREAS, Franklin County Children Services has been providing volunteer and mentoring services to enrich the lives of children being served in Columbus and Central Ohio for more than 50 years; and
WHEREAS, FCCS mentorship programs provide individuals with support, friendship, and guidance - ultimately helping the youth that are served with building healthy long-term relationships between children and their caregivers; and
WHEREAS, FCCS has a number of mentoring programs serving the youth of our community - they include the SIMBA PROGRAM which is a culturally, gender specific mentoring program for African-American boys and African-American men which provides boys with pathways for leadership and exposure to growth, while fostering community pride - the MALAIKA PROGRAM which is a culturally, gender specific mentoring program for African-American girls and African-American women, which through individual relationships, creative programing and community building, addresses the unique challenges faced by African-American girls, and supports their transition into womanhood - the COLLEGE-BOUND PROGRAM which matches mentors with youth ages 15 and older and prepares them to reach their dreams, this program helps youth to develop long term, structured and trusting relationships, while providing support, guidance, instruction and advocacy, eventually preparing youth for their careers. FCCS recognizes that friendship is the cornerstone of any volunteer program, FCCS believes that matching youth with caring adults helps them to develop meaningful relationships and exposes them to fun, as well as creates opportunities and specialized growth experiences for youth; and
WHEREAS, January has been designated as National Mentoring Month, a time dedicated to focusing national attention on the need for mentors to ensure brighter futures for young people; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby recognize January as National Mentoring Month in the City of Columbus; celebrates the leadership of Franklin County Children Services and thanks FCCS for its ongoing commitment to improving the lives of young people in Central Ohio.