Seeking volunteers for youth mentorship

Impact Youth Mentorship out of Gillette’s Youth Emergency Services, Inc. is expanding services into Weston and Crook Counties. The mentorship program has been building and growing into the surrounding areas and is looking forward to offering youth, families and volunteers different opportunities and preventative services in this area.

Impact Youth Mentorship’s commitment is providing positivity, opportunity and quality mentoring to local communities; striving to offer invaluable life skills, lifelong friendships and positive personal development.

Mentorship Program Coordinator Stacy Helwig said of the expansion, “It is our focus to support youth and families to achieve life-long success that has us expanding.”

With this development, the greatest need at this time is individuals willing and able to participate in community-based mentoring, according to Helwig. This particular aspect of the program needs adult volunteers, who are 21 years old or older, can pass a background check and can maintain a minimum number of hours for each week’s contact period with their matched youth.  

Youth who want to participate in this program must fall within the following criteria: the young person is 17 years of age or younger and has been screened as being low risk to public safety by a juvenile justice agency (attorney’s office, diversion program, juvenile probation or Department of Family Services), has come from a family that has a favorable attitude towards drug use and anti-social behaviors, is a runaway and homeless, a youth who is failing academically and has a low commitment to school and youngster who has a history of suicide ideation/attempts.

Helwig wants to alleviate concerns a few may harbor about the young people and their families this program help.

“In fact, the youth and families we serve are often just the opposite, they are youth and families who have been impacted by trauma, loss or hardships and need some support. They are often incredibly resilient and great kids and great parents who want or need help to overcome some challenges,” she says.

“They are often doing the best they can, but are alone or away from support systems and need some additional support. Mentorship is a great example of how having another positive adult mentor for a child who has experienced separation or loss of a loved one can have a profound impact on helping the child and parents through a difficult time.”

The program was introduced in 1976 as part of the Youth Emergency Services.

“The families and youth we served are not divided by county lines,” said Helwig, who has worked in the mentorship department for seven years, “so it is a natural progression to engage Mentors and Mentees in Crook and Weston Counties. We have had wonderful relationships with juvenile services across the counties, so it has been a great experience and easy transition with their support.”

For additional program details, questions or information on how to volunteer or advocate a child for consideration, please email or call Crook County Mentorship Specialist Courtney Reynolds at [email protected] 307.756.2079 or Mentorship Program Coordinator Stacy Helwig at [email protected] 307.299.7923.