[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 8, 2006

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the 
Congressional Mentoring Caucus I rise today in strong support for 
National Mentoring Month.
  Millions of individuals across the country serve as mentors to young 
men and women--encouraging and promoting the development of strong 
characters and identities for youth who may not have a strong adult 
presence in their lives.
  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 3,700 children benefit from this mentoring program 
with the time and energy of more than 3,200 volunteers.
  Minnesota is also home to the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, 
which formed in 1994 as a community initiative to promote mentoring for 
Minnesota youth, particularly those who are at risk and may lack 
positive role models in their lives.
  A mentor can be a friend, a listener, a coach, a tutor, or a 
confidant. A mentor simply cares enough to be a good listener, and they 
often open doors to new worlds--offering encouragement and support 
along the way. Mentoring programs create opportunities and encourage 
successes that can last a lifetime.
  I would like to thank the sponsor of this bill, Mr. Osborne from 
Nebraska, whose cousin--the Honorable Kathleen Vellenga--was a mentor 
of mine when I served in the Minnesota State House of Representatives.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution and to 
look for opportunities to be a mentor themselves.

                          ____________________