| Last updated on May 8, 2008 |
 Words from Stephen Palmer, Good Friend Mentor -
For a long time I had told myself that “some-day” I’d give back to my community, help someone out, volunteer at some organization. The problem I had was that “some day” never seemed to be today. There was always some excuse in the back of my mind. Excuses such as “when I have more time” or “when things slow down a little” would come to mind every time I heard about a great organization that needed volunteers. Luckily, I realized that if I continued to wait for all my excuses to disappear, volunteering would be just one more thing to add to the “to-do” list. After running in a local 5K race sponsored by the Danbury based Good Friend organization, I decided to look into what their program was all about. Good Friend is a mentoring program designed to help children who need an adult role model and a friend in their lives. This is provided through one-to-one mentoring, group activities and after school programs. Each volunteer is matched up with a single same-sex child and the fun begins. Good Friend caseworkers made my joining experience a very pleasant and easy process. The terms they use for each match is “big” for the mentor and “little” for the child. When I was matched up with my Little, Bobby, our caseworker had created a very solid foundation for our first meeting and made sure we were both as compatible as possible. As excited as I was to start, I wondered if I would be a good mentor. I’m slowly learning that we are all good mentors, and we can make a small difference in our own way. During the short time I have been mentoring, I believe I have learned as much as I hope to teach. I was amazed at a few statistics that were brought to my attention during a short mentoring training session. Children who meet with their “Bigs” regularly for about a year were:
- Forty-six percent less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27 percent less likely to start drinking.
- Fifty-two percent less likely than their peers to skip school and 37 percentless likely to skip class
- More trusting of their parents or guardians and less likely to lie to them,and likely to feel more supported and less criticized by their peers and friends.
Knowing these statistics, it’s hard to not want to set aside as much time as you can to volunteer and help a child that would benefit so much from a few hours every other week. Imagine: a few of our hours could change someone’s life forever. When I was matched up with my Little we were given a list of about 185 things to do. The next time Bobby and I went out, he handed me the list and had highlighted each item he’d like to do together. The list was full of blue highlights, and I was excited that he wanted to try so many things. The one thing we are going to do with that list is have fun! I hope to make a difference in his life, because he’s already made a difference in mine.
We ask that our mentors be at least 18 years of age and able to commit one year to this position. Each volunteer is asked to attend a 1.5 hour orientation prior to beginning the screening process. On acceptance, each volunteer will receive a 6 hour training (it's both educational and fun). Volunteers will maintain either a weekly or every other week commitment of 3 hrs.(as a target - more or less is fine). Supervision and additonal training and support are available to the volunteer through program staff. Our volunteers ought to be good listeners; patient; believe in children's potential; consistent; flexible; have a sense of humor; have emotional and relational stability; have a valid driver's license, clean driving record (less than 5 points on license and no DUI's) & insured auto, no felony convictions; understands and can work within the parameters of Good Friend’s mission and policies. This opportunity is sponsored by: Good Friend
We need volunteers who are free at these times
This volunteer opportunity is available to the following types of volunteers
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| Individual |
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Contact Person:
Heather Mock, Volunteer Recruiter, (203) 790-0032, (email)
Address:
Directions:
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From I-84 either direction, get off at exit 4. Head east (towards downtown Danbury) onto Lake Avenue. Not counting the light at the bottom of the exit ramp, proceed through 6 lights (7 if you were coming from east heading west). The last light puts you at the intersection of West and Main Streets. Crossing Main Street puts you onto Liberty Street. The office is located at the corner of Main and Liberty (you will see a sign over the awning and a neon sign in the window). Parking is in the first lot on your right on Liberty Street, directly behind the Good Friend office.
Nearest Bus Stop: HART - CVS Main Street, 1 minute walk |
Web Site: http://www.good-friend.org
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Volunteer Reflections
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Average Rating (5 reflections) 
Overall Experience
Surprising
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Being apart of the Good Friend has been a wonderful experience. This is very professional organization that above all else puts the children first. My mentee has been a positive addition to my life (and my finace's too.) At times, he can be is a little rambunctious but then there are times he can be surprisingly mature and really beyond his years. I suggest to anyone interested to at the very least - check it out by attending an event and/or information session. Enjoy!
posted by phido on June 11, 2003 |
Overall Experience
so important and meaningful, rewarding beyond measure
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My experience is with Good Friends. I've had a long relationship with the program and found it so rewarding -- the love you get back far exceeds the love you give. Spending time with these great, trusting kids and the loving, caring adults who give their time has been such a blessing in so many ways. I've never met such a dedicated and caring group of people as those involved with Good Friends. And it's such an honor and privilege to be able to be "there" for these kids. I am not living in CT anymore, but I cherish my experiences with all the GF staff, bigs and littles, and their families. May God continue to Bless all of you.
posted by meredith2 on June 10, 2003 |
Overall Experience
The staff and kids are a pleasure to work with
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My efforts involve planning activities for the kids, tutoring in the after school program, keeping the web site current, and helping to customize databases used by the organization. I enjoy the people and the opportunity to use my skills to help where I can.
posted by artgilbert on June 10, 2003 |
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