Not ready to foster or adopt? Consider mentoring
Anyone considering adoption or foster care will tell you that it is a big commitment.
We understand that sometimes people want to get involved but bringing a child into your home is just too big of a commitment. And that is OK; sometimes the best thing to do is start small.
There are lots of ways to do that – through respite care or by becoming a CASA for instance – but especially for individuals who want to work with older children, consider volunteering with HEMI.
The Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI) is currently recruiting mentors to serve 15 students in Hamilton County foster care.
HEMI is a partnership between Hamilton County, Job and Family Services, the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State and Great Oaks. It pairs foster youth in high school with a higher education mentor. These mentors work specifically with youth who are at risk of “aging-out” of foster care when they turn 18. The mentors help the youth complete high school, apply to college, set career goals and secure employment.
Mentors commit to at least two hours of personal interaction each week with their student. Once a month, they attend a HEMI social activity. They are also expected to be available via telephone, email, texting, etc. The most effective mentors are able to engage in a relationship based on trust and understanding.
Since the HEMI program was formed in 2009, 100 percent of the foster children paired with a mentor have graduated high school. Last year, Mariah Maxwell became the first HEMI student to graduate college.
Successful HEMI students credit their relationships with their mentors as being a driving force in getting them through.
The United Way of Greater Cincinnati recently featured a HEMI student and mentor in its campaign video: http://youtu.be/QGqPUYx6_MI (skip ahead to the 3 minute mark to see them).
To learn more about how to get involved, contact HEMI Program Coordinator Annie Schellinger at Annie.Schellinger@uc.edu or 556-4368.