Mentor program running, but limping

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 12/20/18

By JOHN HOWELL Of all the cuts made to the school budget to close what originally amounted to a $6.6 million shortfall this summer, elimination of $102,000 to the school mentoring program has generated the loudest outcry. Yet, Mentor Rhode Island chose

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Mentor program running, but limping

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Of all the cuts made to the school budget to close what originally amounted to a $6.6 million shortfall this summer, elimination of $102,000 to the school mentoring program has generated the loudest outcry.

Yet, Mentor Rhode Island chose to continue its signature program and appealed to the community. Letters went out to those who have supported the program asking them to step up at this critical time. That help has come, although Mentor RI has raised less than half of what it needs.

The biggest boost so far came last Thursday when the Rotary Club of Warwick gave the Warwick-based nonprofit $20,000.

Club board member and chair of the charities committee Janis Constantine, who made the presentation, recognized the long-standing link between the mentor program and Warwick schools. The Warwick Education Foundation, a child of the Warwick Chamber of Commerce, started the program in partnership with Warwick Schools in 1990.

“With nearly 30 years of history and amazing results for Warwick kids, this successful program has served as the blueprint for 25 other school-based mentoring programs throughout the state, leading them to become the statewide experts in youth mentoring,” Constantine said to club members.

She noted that Warwick schools helped fund the program since it started, adding, “You can imagine the devastation they felt when they were blindsided by the news that the Warwick School Committee eliminated the entire funding for the Warwick Mentor Program.”

Constantine pointed out that Warwick mentors left their mentees in June, telling them they’d see them in September.

“How do they not show up for them? How do they tell 160 vulnerable kids they aren’t a priority?” she asked.

From the beginning, the program pairs adults with students who have been identified as benefiting from a mentor by their principal for an hour-long visit once a week. One of the first companies to enable employees to leave work for an hour as mentors was Metropolitan Life that, at one time, had as many as 60 mentors spread between Scott and Cedar Hill Schools. What school administrators found is that attendance improved along with grades and behavior.

Mentors frequently stayed with their mentee as they progressed through the school system and were there after they graduated. The program has gone full circle, with some former mentees having gone on to get jobs, having families of their own and returning as mentors.

With such a legacy and strong bonds, neither Jo Ann Schofield, president of Mentor RI, nor her board were going to walk away from the Warwick program. But this year could be its last.

“One of our program coordinators left in the fall and we are unable to fill that position, so existing staff is really overwhelmed. We are unable to recruit new mentors for the program and had to cancel holiday parties this year. Both our kids and mentors were really disappointed, but we just don’t have the bandwidth,” Schofield said.

“Now we are faced with attrition,” she continued. “If a mentor is unable to continue with their mentee and we are unable to recruit a new mentor for that young person, then what happens? We have schools contacting us daily asking for more mentors and questioning the lack of parties. It is so sad to see this vibrant program remain unfunded. While we’ve been so fortunate to have amazing support from the Rotary and others, the bottom line is that I don’t think we can do this another year.”

Mayor Joseph Solomon singled out the mentor program and reduction in school custodians as things he would like to see the School Department restore. For the foreseeable future, that seems highly unlikely as schools face a $4.9 million budget shortfall and there has been no movement – albeit talks – to reach a settlement over additional city funding.

Asked whether the city could fund the program, rather than the schools, Solomon said that could be possible, but questioned where the city would get the money.

Might the program be supported through donations as, in part, is being done now?

“It takes enormous time and energy to raise $102,000 annually,” said Schofield. “We do not have a staff position that is dedicated to just fundraising because we focus our staffing on our first priority, which is always our kids. It’s a catch-22.”

For the time being, the program hangs on by cutting some of the frills and not replacing mentors when they leave. It’s limping, but it’s running.

“The beauty of the amazing support from the Warwick Rotary is that it is to do the existing work of supporting our mentor/mentee pairs,” said Schofield. “We are beyond grateful for their belief in the positive difference a mentor can make for a young person. We are still here because of this community’s support.”

You can make a donation to Mentor RI by going to mentorRI.org/save-warwick. You may also donate by sending a check to MENTOR Rhode Island, 2065 Warwick Ave., Unit 1, Warwick, RI 02889 and putting “Warwick Funding” in the memo.

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  • richardcorrente

    We have a new School Committee with an increased focus on "students" so I believe and hope this vital mentoring program will receive the new funding that it needs and sincerely deserves.

    Merry Christmas everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Friday, December 21, 2018 Report this