Why mentoring is important for the community — and the workplace
Gary Friedman is the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana.
A pandemic, polarizing political campaigns, the continued racial tension that permeates within our community, and even sports team affiliations are issues that have either created dissension or these issues have created a space to educate, listen, learn and lead.
And how much time do each of us spend engaging in this invitable discord? At least four hours a week or month? Could that amount of time for each of us be better spend helping better ourselves first and our community?
One overarching topic of conversation has been how, in times of need, do we support the youth in our communities. The answer seems to be one that everyone agrees: The power of mentorship.
One-to-one mentoring relationships are powerful experiences that positively impact both the mentor and the mentee.
So much focus is on the impact of mentoring on our youth — which we will get to. However, the impact on the adult who becomes the mentor is equally important and beneficial.
Mentors learn about themselves, improve their mental health and outlook on the community, gain important perspectives that they gain from their mentee, and overall improve the positivity in their lives by getting as much or more from their mentoring relationship. Studies also show that mentors are better employees in the workplace and help make their companies stronger.
Mentorship impacts the vital areas of mental health, education, child abuse prevention, violence prevention and workforce development. In fact, the No. 1 factor in helping young people through mental health challenges is having a positive adult mentor in their life.
Mental health crises are indiscriminate and have spiked since the pandemic hit — 61% of young adults, ages 18-25 reported experiencing profound loneliness and one in three young people today say they do not have a positive adult in their life.
A Little taking part in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana’s School to Work program speaks during a community event.
If mentorship provides a positive experience for both the mentor and mentee and fulfills an essential role within the community, we must ask ourselves: How can we maximize the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana to create a bigger impact in our communities?
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana (BBBSKY) has a mission of creating one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of our youth. BBBSKY’s evidenced based approach yields results that cannot be rivaled.
In 2023, over 3,000 lives were positively impacted; 100% of youth served avoided involvement with the juvenile justice system; 100% graduated high school on time; and 89% maintained or increased a stronger sense of family connectedness.
Mentorship is also the top approach to combating trauma in young adults and lessens the feelings of anxiety and depression.
What employer would not want to consider hiring an adult who has been a mentor to a young person? Additionally, employers seeking diverse, young talent are drawn to young adults that have been mentors and mentored through a nationally known and trusted organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters.
It is as simple as “It Takes 2," a song lyric that has had a transformative effect within our local organization. It takes two, a mentor and their mentee. And, we are looking for more mentors — more adults willing to invest just two hours, twice a month to help themselves and a youth reach their full potential.
And the best part is that as a mentor, the main qualification is simply that you care.
Whether mentoring is in your future is really up to you — and what you get out of it will amaze you beyond your belief.
Because now more than ever before, I think we all could use some positivity in our lives — at least for four hours a month.
