Only Connect – It’s National Mentoring Month

In his novel, Howard’s End, E. M. Forster calls on us to invest our best selves, our greatest energy, into our personal relationships. Perhaps the book’s most famous lines, indeed the book’s epigraph, is “Only Connect!” Scholars note that Forster wrote Howard’s End at the turn of the 20th century and that in this and other writings, he seems keenly aware of the notion that technological advance is at the expense of authentic human connection.   

As we enter year three of the pandemic, we need connection more than ever. The very actions that protect us from Covid, masks and social distancing, are compounding feelings of isolation and loneliness. We all -- children, adolescents, young adults, middle-aged, and older adults -- are experiencing increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and grief.   

January is National Mentoring Month. It is a time to promote and celebrate the power of mentoring and its impact on people of all ages. It is well known that both having a mentor and being a mentor can profoundly affect well-being, satisfaction, and success. Mentors can be older or younger than mentees. Mentoring can take place in schools and colleges, in the workplace, in neighborhoods and in virtual spaces. Mentoring can be formal, or informal.   

Regardless of your age or life stage, consider becoming or seeking a mentor. Here are a few local leads:  

Youth

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC selects and matches mentors with children facing adversity and provide ongoing activities, training and support services for both families and volunteers to foster a successful match relationship and a lasting connection. 
• Buncombe County Schools and Asheville City Schools  As a volunteer, you are an important part of the school community. When you become a volunteer, your work takes on special significance -- though you are not part of the staff, you share the same responsibilities that paid staff are held to while engaged with students.  School volunteers may be parents or community members.  Volunteers can be utilized in a variety of situations in schools, ranging from one time only to monthly, weekly or daily commitments. They may provide tutorial help, monitor lunchrooms, staff libraries and supervise playgrounds. Volunteers may assist the classroom teacher and the clerical staff. They may answer telephones, type or file. They might share a special skill, occupation, or talent with the students.  
• My Daddy Taught Me That (MDTMT) is a nonprofit agency providing mentoring programs that support the development, uplift, and education of middle and high school males in the greater Asheville area. The mission of My Daddy Taught Me That is to assist in developing young males into righteous, respectable, and responsible men through empowerment, education, and support. MDTMT’s vision is that every young male can become a positive, productive individual in the community while knowing from example what it means to be a MAN.  

   Veterans

• Support Veterans Going to College - A-B Tech's Vet's Cafe. We are seeking volunteers to help support our Veteran's Cafe. A-B Tech recognizes that student military veterans benefit significantly from fellowship and networking with their peers. To meet this need, the College created the Vet's Cafe, a supportive gathering place where students can relax, network, connect with resources, use a computer and enjoy complimentary coffee or pre-packaged snack.  
• Buncombe County Veterans Court. Mentors in our program must be veterans who have one year of sobriety, are compassionate, and have a desire to help others. The role of the Volunteer Peer Mentor is to act as a confidential coast, guide, role model, advocate, and support persona s the participant progresses through the Veterans Treatment Court process. Experiences in other courts show that veterans are likely to respond more favorably toward another veteran rather than someone who did not share a similar experience.   

   Workforce

• The Venture Asheville mentorship program supports Asheville startups across multiple industries including mobile & web technologies, IT, digital media, advanced manufacturing, and biotechnology. Mentors are experienced entrepreneurs and executives. Mentors have experience in creating and/or building companies and often have deep functional experience. 
• Asheville SCORE volunteer business counselors offer small business advice, business seminars, leadership coaching, organizational development, business plan consulting, sales training and business mentoring to help you create a feasible, long term business strategy. SCORE volunteers are real-world professionals with time-tested knowledge who donate thousands of hours to help existing local businesses and entrepreneurs starting a business succeed. 

There are surely many other opportunities to find or become a mentor. I encourage you to reminisce about a particularly special mentor you have had in your life. Consider those you have mentored or are mentoring presently. Look into new mentorship options. Only, connect.