LUDLOW— Tara Pollio, outreach director for Mentor Connector (MC), spoke at the recent meeting of the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) about the role that group plays in working Rutland County youth in need of personalized help.
She noted that MC offers mentoring assistance to individuals, families, and community organizations. Currently it is assisting 7,800 clients in the age range of 5 to 18 years.
The group has three principle focus goals in its mentoring programs: improving life skills, creating educational curiosity, and developing workforce programs. Pollio described the level of support in these areas provided through the mentoring program.
She indicated that 13% of the clients had previous suicide plans, 60% had experienced violence, and 57% “didn’t think they mattered.”
Since MC’s program is essentially a one-on-one experience, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact of its ability to deliver the mentoring, requiring most such efforts to be conducted via remote connects.
During the question and answer session following Pollio’s presentation, LRC members related their personal experiences working with MC as mentors.
The LRC is small and is always looking to welcome new members. If you would like to attend a meeting and learn how you may ‘Serve Humanity’ while enjoying the fun and fellowship of others, please contact any Rotarian or drop a note to Ludlow Rotary, PO Box 216, Ludlow Vermont. During the pandemic, all meetings are conducted using the Zoom app.
