(Pictured: Power4Youth student shaking hands with Long Beach Mayor Garcia, including Long Beach mentoring programs and council members).
Power4Youth is a nonprofit organization that provides site-based academic mentoring for students. We asked Samana Budhathoki, Power4Youth Match Supervisor the following questions:
Why is working with your neighborhood important?
At the simplest level, mentoring and working with our neighborhood is important because it provides our youth with an adult to turn to. They have a guiding hand to help them in dealing with day-to-day challenges. At a more complex level, this has a powerful effect that ultimately makes our communities stronger and safer. When our youth is stronger and healthier, we see our communities rise accordingly, and ultimately our nation thrives too.
What is one thing you want people to know about Power4Youth?
Power 4 Youth provides academic and life skills mentoring for middle and high school students. In the simplest sense, we connect youth with caring adults who do their best to be there for them. They listen and guide our youth. They make them feel important, loved, cared for and understood, especially at an age when teens are trying to find meanings for themselves or are developing their values, beliefs, and sense of self. Don’t we all want that support and guidance, that cheerleader who has got our back, no-matter-what?
How can residents volunteer?
It is very simple! Volunteers must be 18 years and older and a high school graduate. They have to have the time to devote to their mentee– a minimum commitment of 1 and a half hours per week. Volunteers should have a genuine liking or openness to work with teens and need to pass a background test! Lastly, volunteers need to attend a volunteer orientation meeting.
For more info email info@power4youth.org or samana@power4youth.org. Learn more at https://power4youth.org
