[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUPPORTING NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 8, 2005

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, as one of the co-chairs of 
the Mentoring Caucus, I rise today in support of House Resolution 46, 
to express the sense of Congress and the House of Representatives 
regarding the many benefits of mentoring.
  Mentoring programs, as we are talking about them here today, link 
children with caring, responsible adults to provide opportunities for 
young people to develop strong character and new capabilities. 
Mentoring opportunities are a proven method, as has been pointed out, 
to help children who may be struggling in school or at home or just in 
life. We need to take advantage of mentoring opportunities to allow 
every child to become self-sufficient, have better self-esteem, and 
feel that they too can achieve the American Dream.
  In my own state of Minnesota, there are over 350 mentoring programs 
that connect youth with positive role models. One valuable mentoring 
program is Big Brothers Big Sisters. In the St. Paul/Minneapolis region 
alone, more than 2,000 children benefit from this mentoring program. In 
2005, they hope to reach 5,000 children.
  Sergeant Mamie Singleton, of the St. Paul Police Department and 
founder of Youth Initiative Mentoring Academies, is one example of many 
in Minnesota who in her spare time mentors youth. Youth Initiative 
Mentoring Academies is a non-profit organization for at-risk youth that 
utilizes a mentoring model through aviation education. I cannot tell 
you how proud I am when I go to their gradation day and each and every 
one of those children receives a certificate for their aviation 
education and for their civic education projects. It is a special time 
for the mentors as well, as they witness their generous gifts of time 
and hard work payoff for these children.
  Mentors make a difference, for a mentor can be a friend, a listener, 
a coach, a tutor, or just a confidante. A mentor is simply a person who 
cares enough to be a good listener at times and to offer the 
opportunity to open new doors and new worlds by offering encouragement 
and support along the way.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and to 
look for opportunities for Members to be mentors themselves. As the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) pointed out, many of our staff 
are mentors. J.D. Burton, who recently left my staff, was a mentor for 
Horton's Kids. He tutored for 3 years, and, at times, we worked our 
schedule around his mentoring schedule. I have many others in my office 
who are also mentors, and each and every one of them says that they get 
more out of the opportunity of mentoring than they could ever imagine.
  I would also like to thank the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman 
from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), for, you see, his family comes from a 
mentoring background. His cousin, the Honorable Kathleen Vellenga, took 
time to be a mentor of mine when I was in the Minnesota House of 
Representatives. Mentoring--you never know where it might lead you.

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