Volunteer Mentors rewarded with "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day"

We are pleased to announce that Take Stock in Children will be participating in Walt Disney World’s “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program through the HandsOn Network. Take Stock in Children is proud to celebrate the unsung heroes who serve as Mentors to students in their communities with this exciting rewards program. All volunteer Take Stock in Children Mentors are eligible and we encourage you to enjoy the benefit of visiting Walt Disney World. Please contact your local program agency for local volunteer mentoring opportunities in your community.

We appreciate your continued support of Take Stock in Children, and we hope that Give a Day, get a Disney Day will serve to recognize your outstanding commitment to Take Stock in Children and our scholars. We look forward to celebrating the spirit and power of volunteerism with you this year!

JANUARY IS NATIONAL MENTOR MONTH

A Message from Maria Sastre
President & CEO
Take Stock in Children

We know Mentors are the answer…

As we begin a new year, we, at Take Stock in Children, also begin a month long celebration and outreach campaign promoting and encouraging mentoring. National Mentor Month, launched January 2002 by the Harvard Mentoring Project, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, is a month-long campaign that aims to increase national attention about the need for Mentors and the positive, life-changing effects mentoring can have on the lives of our young people and in particular at-risk youth.

Research confirms what previously we had known only anecdotally or intuitively, that purposeful mentoring does work. A recent Research Brief published by Child Trends and titled, "Mentoring: A Promising Strategy for Youth Development," found that youth who participate in mentoring relationships experience numerous positive benefits. In terms of educational achievement, mentored youth have better attendance; a better chance of continuing into postsecondary education; and better attitudes towards school”.

The positive results of mentoring have also been validated by the exceptional performance of our students in Take Stock in Children. Our exceptional high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates have been achieved through our comprehensive program model with a core feature of in-school volunteer Mentors who serve our students.

In addition, other tangible benefits of being a Mentor are that Mentors tend to have a beneficial influence on the health and safety of mentees. Mentoring appears to help prevent substance abuse and reduce some negative youth behaviors, which are critical success factors for students in our program. Mentored youth tend to have a more trusting relationship with their parents or legal guardians, which improves their communication. They also feel they receive more emotional support from their friends than do youth who are not mentored. It is obvious that all of these positive outcomes of mentoring contribute to the critical links in the chain of support that enable Take Stock in Children to change the lives of these children.

As you access your goals for 2010, please consider volunteerism, and more importantly, please consider becoming a Mentor for Take Stock in Children. If you want to change the life of an at-risk child, and contribute to your community, please donate your time as a Mentor and make a choice to become a partner in the process of helping a child grow and develop into a contributing member of society.

As we acknowledge, recognize and thank all of our volunteer mentors this month, please take a moment and think of the mentors in your life—a team coach, teacher, a concerned neighbor, or another caring adult—who cared enough to take the time and thank them for their consideration and again, consider becoming a Mentor yourself.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year from all of us at Take Stock in Children.

Take Stock in Children Launches New Website

Welcome to our newly redesigned website. This new design promises to be an engaging experience, allowing our visitors to learn about Take Stock in Children in a variety of ways - including video interviews with our students, mentors and sponsors.

Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Speaks About Take Stock in Children on the Floor of the House of Representatives

Maria Sastre, Take Stock in Children President and CEO traveled to Washington to advocate for Federal resources, on behalf of Take Stock in Children, with Congressional Members, Senator Bill Nelson's staff, the Department of Justice, and the Education Department. The focus of the trip was to raise awareness for Take Stock in Children, and display its outstanding results while discussing ongoing needs.

During her visit she met with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Florida, District 18 in Miami. Ileana was instrumental in securing the Florida legislation for the Florida Prepaid Program in the 1990's, and as a former educator has a strong affinity to issues regarding education. After providing her with a thorough update on Take Stock in Children and its efforts throughout the state of Florida, she was impressed, so much so, that last week she spoke about Take Stock in Children on the House floor.

Take Stock in Children Receives Community Service Award

Take Stock in Children of Clay County received the highest prize at the inaugural Celebrate Clay community service awards. The $10,000 Paul E. & Klare N. Reinhold Awards honors Paul E. Reinhold, who told his family members often the story of the cathedral builder -- the workman who saw not the task, not the paycheck, but the dream that would be realized.

Accepting on behalf of the students and mentors, Anna Taylor, Program Director stated, "It is easy to see how Take Stock in Children exemplifies the cathedral-building spirit Mr. Reinhold admired. Without the countless hours and boundless energy that mentors, leadership council members, liasons and school principals devote to our students, they would not be experiencing the academic and personal success we see today."

Each year the Paul E. & Klare N. Reinhold Foundation awards a total of $65,000 to organizations that provide community services in Clay County.